Din Thomas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Din Thomas |
|
---|---|
Born | Wilmington, Delaware, U.S. |
September 28, 1976
Other names | Dinyero |
Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) |
Weight | 143 lb (65 kg) |
Division | Featherweight (2009–2014) Lightweight Welterweight |
Fighting out of | Port St. Lucie, Florida |
Team | American Top Team (2001–2020) |
Rank | 3rd degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Ricardo Liborio |
Years active | 1998–2014 |
Mixed martial arts record | |
Total | 36 |
Wins | 26 |
By knockout | 8 |
By submission | 14 |
By decision | 4 |
Losses | 9 |
By knockout | 2 |
By submission | 2 |
By decision | 5 |
No contests | 1 |
last updated on: February 15, 2010
|
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.
Contents
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
Professional record breakdown | ||
36 matches | 26 wins | 9 losses |
By knockout | 7 | 2 |
By submission | 15 | 2 |
By decision | 4 | 5 |
No contests | 1 |
Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Loss | 26–9 (1) | Georgi Karakhanyan | Decision (unanimous) | Legacy Fighting Championship 19 | April 12, 2013 | 3 | 5:00 | Texas, United States | |
NC | 26–8 (1) | Cody Bollinger | No Contest | Pure MMA: Next Episode | May 12, 2012 | 1 | 2:04 | Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, United States | For the Pure MMA Featherweight Championship. Overturned by the PSAC. |
Win | 26–8 | Dustin Pague | TKO (doctor stoppage) | WEF: Brasco vs. Whitesel | January 8, 2010 | 2 | 4:14 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States | |
Win | 25–8 | Gabe Lemley | TKO (knee) | SRP: March Badness | March 21, 2009 | 1 | 4:13 | Pensacola, Florida, United States | |
Win | 24–8 | Dustin Pieken | Submission (triangle choke) | HHP 1: The Patriot Act | February 7, 2009 | 1 | 2:58 | Columbia, Missouri, United States | Featherweight debut. |
Loss | 23–8 | Josh Neer | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night 13 | April 2, 2008 | 3 | 5:00 | Broomfield, Colorado, United States | |
Loss | 23–7 | Kenny Florian | Submission (rear-naked choke) | UFC Fight Night 11 | September 19, 2007 | 1 | 4:30 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
Win | 23–6 | Jeremy Stephens | Submission (armbar) | UFC 71 | May 26, 2007 | 2 | 2:44 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Submission of the Night |
Win | 22–6 | Clay Guida | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night 8 | January 25, 2007 | 3 | 5:00 | Hollywood, Florida, United States | Fight of the Night |
Win | 21–6 | Rich Clementi | Submission (rear-naked choke) | The Ultimate Fighter 4 Finale | November 11, 2006 | 2 | 3:11 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
Loss | 20–6 | Luciano Azevedo | Decision (unanimous) | WCFC: No Guts No Glory | March 18, 2006 | 3 | 5:00 | Manchester, England | |
Win | 20–5 | Dwayne Shelton | Submission (armbar) | BP: Pride & Glory | September 17, 2005 | 1 | N/A | Georgia, United States | |
Loss | 19–5 | Tyrone Glover | Decision (majority) | Deep: 20th Impact | September 3, 2005 | 3 | 5:00 | Tokyo, Japan | |
Win | 19–4 | John Strawn | Submission (armbar) | Absolute Fighting Championships 11 | February 12, 2005 | 1 | 1:15 | Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States | |
Win | 18–4 | Ray Totorico | Submission (ankle lock) | Battle of New Orleans 11 | February 7, 2004 | 1 | 1:45 | Metairie, Louisiana, United States | |
Loss | 17–4 | Amar Suloev | TKO (punches and soccer kicks) | Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye 2003 | December 31, 2003 | 1 | 4:22 | Kobe, Japan | |
Win | 17–3 | Steve Berger | Decision (unanimous) | Absolute Fighting Championships 4 | July 19, 2003 | 3 | 5:00 | Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States | |
Win | 16–3 | Matt Serra | Decision (split) | UFC 41 | February 28, 2003 | 3 | 5:00 | Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States | |
Loss | 15–3 | Caol Uno | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 39 | September 27, 2002 | 3 | 5:00 | Uncasville, Connecticut, United States | UFC Lightweight Championship tournament semi-final |
Win | 15–2 | Rob Baer | TKO (punches) | RSF 6: Mayhem in Myers | December 29, 2001 | 1 | 1:22 | Fort Myers, Florida, United States | |
Win | 14–2 | Jason Bender | TKO (punches) | RSF 5: New Blood Conflict | October 27, 2001 | 1 | 1:03 | Augusta, Georgia, United States | |
Win | 13–2 | Fabiano Iha | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 33 | September 28, 2001 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
Loss | 12–2 | B.J. Penn | KO (knee and punches) | UFC 32 | June 29, 2001 | 1 | 2:42 | East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States | |
Win | 12–1 | Scott Johnson | Submission (armbar) | RSF 1: Redemption in the Valley | April 21, 2001 | 1 | 3:11 | Wheeling, West Virginia, United States | |
Win | 11–1 | Stephen Palling | Submission (triangle choke) | SuperBrawl 20 | February 23, 2001 | 1 | 3:52 | Honolulu, Hawaii, United States | |
Win | 10–1 | Jens Pulver | Submission (heel hook) | WEF: New Blood Conflict | August 26, 2000 | 2 | 0:33 | United States | Won ISCF World Lightweight Championship |
Win | 9–1 | Don Banville | TKO (corner stoppage) | World Extreme Fighting 9: World Class | May 13, 2000 | 2 | 4:00 | Evansville, Indiana, United States | |
Win | 8–1 | Dokonjonosuke Mishima | TKO (doctor stoppage) | Shooto – R.E.A.D. 2 | March 17, 2000 | 2 | 3:37 | Tokyo, Japan | Stoppage due to cut. |
Win | 7–1 | Tim Douglas | Submission (armbar) | Reality Combat Fighting 4 | February 19, 2000 | 1 | 0:45 | Houma, Louisiana, United States | |
Win | 6–1 | Ken Allen | Technical Submission (guillotine choke) | World Extreme Fighting 7: Stomp in the Swamp | October 9, 1999 | 1 | 3:16 | Kenner, Louisiana, United States | |
Loss | 5–1 | Caol Uno | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Shooto: Renaxis 4 | September 5, 1999 | 3 | 3:16 | Tokyo, Japan | |
Win | 5–0 | Scott Bills | Submission (triangle choke) | World Extreme Fighting 5 | February 21, 1999 | 1 | 3:46 | United States | |
Win | 4–0 | Scott Bills | TKO (retirement) | World Extreme Fighting 4 | December 19, 1998 | 1 | 5:00 | United States | |
Win | 3–0 | Ed Lutz | Submission (rear-naked choke) | World Extreme Fighting 4 | December 19, 1998 | 1 | 3:20 | United States | |
Win | 2–0 | Rodney Brown | Submission (keylock) | Ybor Vale Tudo | December 15, 1998 | 1 | 4:00 | Tampa, Florida, United States | |
Win | 1–0 | Tomas Velazquez | Submission (armbar) | WVF: Jacksonville Vale Tudo 1 | October 28, 1998 | 1 | 1:02 | Jacksonville, Florida, United States |