UFC 78: Michael Bisping Vs. Rashad Evans / TUF: Team Hughes Vs. Team Serra

what the fudge?! din has always struck me as a pretty smart guy...maybe a little comically arrogant sometimes, but pretty level headed i thought. sounds like his intentions were good (to raise money for the fighters), but to have no medical staff on hand and knowing full well you can't hold unsanctioned events?!?!? how incredibly stupid. there are others ways to raise money.

if the report is correct, it sounds like he admitted to holding the event. if that's the case, we won't see him in the ufc again. :(


Din Thomas Arrested for Allegedly Running Un-Sanctioned MMA Fights
October 30, 2007


UFC veteran and “The Ultimate Fighter 4” cast member Din Thomas was arrested Tuesday on charges he was running un-sanctioned MMA bouts at his American Top Team-affiliated training center in St. Lucie West, Fla.

Thomas is now facing a felony prohibited competitions charge.

MMAjunkie.com was unable to reach Thomas this afternoon. His business manager, Dean Albrecht, said he’s yet to speak to Thomas and can’t comment until he does.

Albrecht didn’t know if Thomas, who needs to post $10,000 bail, had been released from jail.

According to an arrest warrant, officers were called to Thomas’ training center, American Top Team Port St. Lucie, on Tuesday. According to a warrant application filed by officer Brian Kenny:

“Once on scene I observed… a large caged octagon ring with two men inside fighting. There was a third male in the octagon acting as a referee. Around the octagon there were several people (approx. 150 men, women and minors) sitting and standing on make shift stands and chairs facing the octagon cheering while watching the two men fight. Both fighters wore gloves but did not have any protective headgear on. At the front door to the location there was a table with a small sign stating ‘$10.00 per person.’ Also located on the table was a roll of raffle tickets.“

According to the report, Thomas admitted that he was hosting the event for his students to gain experience and that the money raised from the raffle would help the fighters. Although Thomas claimed that the bouts were primarily sparring matches, Kenny stated that each fight had timed rounds, the referee determined a winner, and that he witnessed fighters using “punches and kicks to the body, face and head of their opponents.“

The officer witnessed five to seven fights taking place during the event and even stuck around for the awarding of raffle prizes — likely because he and his fellow officer were dressed in street clothes.

Thomas admitted that he had no medical personnel on hand but said all the fighters did sign waivers, Kenny stated.

The Florida Boxing Commission regulates professional MMA fights in the state of Florida. However, no amateur MMA fights are allowed in the state. Because of that, many training centers — in Florida and throughout the world — often put together events called “smokers,” in which amateur and lower-level fighters can get experience fighting in front of crowds (oftentimes comprised of family and friends). The events come in all shapes and sizes, and though they operate in a gray area of the law at best, they’re nonetheless a big part of MMA.

Thomas (20-7 MMA, 5-3 UFC) had emerged as one of the UFC’s top lightweight contenders before a first-round submission loss to Kenny Florian at UFC Fight Night 11 on Sept. 19. The 31-year-old suffered suffered significant damage to his knee — a torn meniscus, stretched ACL, and a bruised femur and tibia — in the defeat.

http://mmajunkie.com/2007/10/30/din-thomas-arrested-for-allegedly-running-un-sanctioned-mma-fights/

jared vs. george tonight, maybe?

ReleasH wrote:

Hopefully there will be two fights tonight now that Serra's team has locked up picking the quarterfinal matches.

I like your pick for jared vs. george ... look who's that matchmaker now!

hey, that would be sweet, i hadn't thought about that.

not trying to infringe on your territory, though...guesser only, no matchmaker! haha

at the very least you have the respect earned from picking the matches correctly after the first round last year, and those were some very good fights!

once the last two quarter finalists are decided we'll have to see what we think are the best matchups. we'll have to try to get inside serra's head...hmmm..."hamma fist, elbow...you're breathing....take your time...hamma fist elbow..."

well, there was the episode where paul had to fight and they mentioned that jared would fight george, so i was thinking the pick would probably stand. just a little cheating, eh?

yeah, i think hughes might be doing something wrong. i was reading that three of his team members from the show went to new york to train with matt serra after the show was over. it's really no wonder. mac had some good points about some of these guys being in the early stages of their careers and needing to learn, and not needing the discouraging words.