Din Thomas facts for kids

Din Yero Thomas (born September 28, 1976) is an American former mixed martial artist. He was a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter 4: The Comeback. In the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Thomas was a top competitor. He reached the semifinals of the UFC 41 Lightweight Tournament. Today, he works as an analyst for the UFC.

Din Thomas holds a high-level black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He learned from the famous Ricardo Liborio. He also runs two successful academies in Port St. Lucie, Florida. These schools teach both Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and MMA. Thomas has won against some big names in MMA. These include former UFC champions Jens Pulver and Matt Serra. He also defeated former Strikeforce champion Clay Guida.

Besides fighting, Thomas has acted in independent films. He played roles in Loren Cass and Natalie, Queen of Scots. He has also appeared on TV shows related to the UFC.

Early Life and Training

Din Thomas was born in Wilmington, Delaware. He lived there until he was 12 years old. Then, his family moved to Port St. Lucie, Florida. He went to Port St. Lucie High School. As a kid, Din tried baseball and football. But he didn't really enjoy team sports. He didn't like the idea of letting his teammates down.

When he was almost 18, Din's life changed. He had a tough time and got into trouble. This experience made him look for a new path. He soon found Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He started training at a small gym near his home. This was a turning point for him.

Mixed Martial Arts Career

Before joining the UFC, Din Thomas had a great record. He won 12 fights and lost only one. He even beat future UFC champion Jens Pulver. His only loss was to Caol Uno.

Early UFC Fights

Thomas made his UFC debut at UFC 32. He fought against B.J. Penn, who would become a UFC champion. Din lost this fight in the first round. But he came back strong at UFC 33. He defeated Fabiano Iha by a unanimous decision. This means all the judges agreed he won.

At UFC 39, Thomas had a rematch with Caol Uno. This fight was part of a tournament. The winner would become the new UFC Lightweight Champion. After three rounds, Din lost by unanimous decision.

His next fight was at UFC 41. He won a close fight against Matt Serra. Serra later became a UFC champion. This win was a split decision. This means some judges thought Din won, and others thought Matt won. But the final score favored Din. After this fight, Din left the UFC for three years.

The Ultimate Fighter and Return

Din Thomas was a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter 4. This TV show features MMA fighters competing. He won his first fight against Mikey Burnett. But he lost in the semifinals to his training partner, Chris Lytle.

Thomas returned to the UFC at the show's finale. He faced Rich Clementi on November 11, 2006. Din won this fight by a rear naked choke. This is a type of submission hold.

Later, Thomas fought Kenny Florian. Florian was a future UFC title challenger. Din lost this fight by submission. He injured his knee during the fight. Doctors said he tore his meniscus. His last UFC fight was a loss to Josh Neer. After this, he was released from his UFC contract.

After the UFC

After leaving the UFC, Din decided to change his weight class. He moved down to featherweight (145 pounds). He quickly found success in this new division. He won his debut fight with a triangle choke. He then had two TKO wins. A TKO means the fight was stopped by the referee or doctor.

Din Thomas was set to fight Ricardo Mayorga in 2010. But the fight was canceled. In 2011, he was in a car accident. This caused him to be hospitalized. He had to cancel another scheduled fight. On January 2, 2014, Din Thomas officially announced his retirement from MMA.

Coaching Career

Din Thomas didn't just fight; he also coached. He started coaching in 1999. He even owned several MMA and jiu-jitsu schools. In 2015, he became a main coach at American Top Team. This is a very famous MMA gym. He had been connected to the team since 2001. In 2020, Din left American Top Team. He wanted to start his own MMA training camp.

Personal Life

Din Thomas is married and has a son named Ethon.

He also appeared in the 2007 film Loren Cass. This movie was shown at big film festivals. It was released in theaters and on DVD in 2009.

Championships and Awards

Mixed Martial Arts

• Ultimate Fighting Championship
  • UFC 41 Lightweight Tournament Semifinalist
  • Fight of the Night (One time) vs. Clay Guida
  • Submission of the Night (One time) vs. Jeremy Stephens
  • UFC.com Awards
    • 2007: Best Submission of the First Half of the Year vs. Jeremy Stephens
    • 2007: Ranked #6 Submission of the Year vs. Jeremy Stephens
• World Extreme Fighting
  • World Extreme Fighting Lightweight Champion (Three times)
• Reality Super Fighting
  • Reality Super Fighting Lightweight Champion (Two times)
• International Sport Combat Federation
  • ISCF World Lightweight Champion (One time)

Mixed Martial Arts Record