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Both Kenny Florian and Gray Maynard have transformed from stellar prospects from the TUF reality series, into superb contenders and potential title holders at 155. Florian’s transformation has certainly been well noted by many, as he changed from being a newcomer to the sport with limited striking and wrestling experience, into a fighter who has had 2 title shots, and become an incredibly well rounded fighter who has improved immensely over the course of the last 5 years. Florian has slowly but surely added new tricks to his game, and methodically refined his BJJ, added tons of new wrestling skill, and sharpened his striking to the point where he’s a threat to everyone on their feet.
Maynard has also added some great striking to his already solid base of wrestling. His intense competitive drive and excellent camp of Xtreme Couture out of Las Vegas, has allowed him to realize much of his potential. He is close to landing a title shot in the division, and already has a win over title holder Frankie Edgar. A win over Kenny Florian would put Maynard right there in being the number one challenger for the coveted lightweight gold.
Here’s how Maynard and Florian stack up against each other in this pivotal lightweight battle in Boston.

STRIKING
Maynard has shown some solid power in his punches, and has the edge most likely in the pure striking power department. He has shown KO power in his hands, but Florian has a more diverse attack of striking. Whether it’s working you over with a jab or one-two combination followed by a leg kick, Florian has a diverse arsenal of Muay Thai which has flowed better with every fight. While Maynard’s boxing level has been progressing, Florian has shown a great aggressive and effective punching game as he leveled Clay Guida in their bout and impressively beat Takanori Gomi in their bout on the feet for as long the two lightweights battled standing up. Maynard has the power but Florian a few more weapons to choose from including more utilization of leg kicks and treacherously pointy elbows that can cut opponents very badly.
EDGE: FLORIAN

MAYNARD BELIEVES A TITLE SHOT WILL COME AS LONG AS HE KEEPS WINNING

WRESTLING
This is certainly Maynard’s greatest asset to this date. While he’s a very solid MMA fighter, the wrestling takedowns of Maynard are nothing to mess around with. One small mistake and his opponent will find themselves on their back and eating strikes from Maynard. Florian has made major strides in his offensive and defensive wrestling game. I don’t think Florian can get Maynard to the mat, nor do I think he’ll attempt to shoot in on Maynard’s legs, but Florian’s takedown defense has come a long way over the years. The major problem in Florian’s game was his takedown defense, which was particularly the rub in the Boston native’s first title shot against Sean Sherk. Sherk was able to take down Florian every round of their 25 minute affair, but Florian has gained so much ground in the area of defensive wrestling since then. I still however believe that Maynard can plant Florian on his back, but the difference will be the ability of Florian to scramble back up. Florian has a great BJJ game, but I don’t think he’ll rely on his his BJJ off his back to score the win. I rather feel Florian will look to get back up to his feet if taken down, and I maintain that he has enough technique and will to do so. It’s not an easy task to get back up to your feet against a fighter like Maynard, who has solid control from up top, but Florian knows it’s going to be crucial to scramble back up to win this fight. Maynard has an advantage in this realm of wrestling, but some solid counter wrestling and scrambling from Florian will help close the gap.
EDGE: MAYNARD
GRAY MAYNARD HIGHLIGHTS

BJJ
Florian is a very successful BJJ blackbelt, and is particularly found of using the rear naked choke to defeat opponents. If he gets his opponent’s back it’s usually only a matter of seconds before Florian pounces like an snake to sink in the deadly strangle on his opponent. If there is a scramble where Florian can take Maynard’s back, then Florian has a good chance to finish this bout on the ground. But it’s not going to be an easy feat for Florian to accomplish against a solid wrestler and grappler like Maynard. Nonetheless, if somebody does score a submission win in this contest it’s more likely to be Florian than Maynard.
EDGE: FLORIAN

FLORIAN TAPS OUT TAKANORI GOMI

RESULT
This is a tough fight to call because both of these fighters have the tools and smarts to pull off a win in this fight. Maynard can use his power to potentially outpoint or equal the Muay Thai attack of Florian, and then toss in some takedowns into the mix to win a decision in this 3 round bout. On the other hand, as Florian has been so effective in his boxing these days that it’s very conceivable that he will be able to put together his punches once again and pick apart Maynard well enough to get the nod by the judges. I’m going to go with the latter scenario. I feel Florian will be able to put together a solid gameplan and outstrike Maynard and win over the judges in this battle. Should Maynard take the fight to the ground, Florian will be able to fight his way back up to his feet and continue being successful on the feet.
FLORIAN BY DECISION: 29-28, 29-28, 29-28

On September 27, 2001, Din Thomas wins by knockout in 1:03 over Jason Bender in Georgia.

On September 3, 2005, Din Thomas won a decision over Tyrone Glover in Tokyo, Japan.

-Kenny Florian over Joe Lauzon: More experience against top level fighters.

-Karo Parisyan over Thiago Alves: “The Heat” is overwhelming and judo skill will dictate where the fight takes place.

-Matt Hamill over Tim Boetsch: Hamill’s wrestling is top notch.

-Kurt Pellegrino over Nate Diaz: Pelligrino’s wrestling and sub defence carries him through.

-Frankie Edgar over Gray Maynard: Edgar’s wrestling might be a shade ahead of Maynard in the cage.

-Houston Alexander over James Irvin: Ruthless aggression of Alexander wins him this slugfest.

-Marcus Aurelio over Ryan Roberts: Aurelio has been around the block and very skilled.
-Din Thomas over Josh Neer: Thomas has a more refined striking and ground game.

-Manny Gamburyan over Jeff Cox: Gamburyan is overwhelming.

-Clay Guida over Samy Schiavo: Guida always brings it.

-George Sotiropoulos over Roman Mitichyan: Sotriopoulos won’t get caught with subs and has good striking.

-Tommy Speer over Anthony Johnson: Speer’s wrestling and strength will aid him in victory.

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There are a plethora of MMA radio shows out there right now, and one of them is MMA Radio Retail, broadcasting out of the 2nd floor of Ferg’s Sports Bar in St. Pete, Florida. UFC fighter Din Thomas has joined the MMA Radio Retail live on Mondays and UFC fighter James Lee is on Thursdays at 8pm (eastern).

Din Thomas is an interesting, insightful and entertaining individual, so he’s a good guy to tune into because you can get some real gems out of him from time to time.

Photo: UFC/Zuffa

On February 19, 2000, Din Thomas defeated Tim Douglas via armbar in round one.

Owned Entertainment, Inc. announced today the casting of MMA and UFC fighter Din Thomas in the MMA movie ‘Owned’ playing a police officer.  Din has fought several times in the UFC and appeared on season four of ‘The Ultimate Fighter.’  He has also been taking extensive acting training to prepare for a feature role.  Owned Entertainment president, James Hergott comments; “Din has been hard at work sharpening his acting skills.  His training includes advanced scene and Shakespearean courses as well as acting in theatrical plays in his native Florida.  He has submitted multiple audition tapes and I am confident in his abilities to bring his character to life.” 

Mixed martial arts team fighting league featuring local fighters, Bonecrunch Fighting, has announced its tournament-style 2008 schedule to find the nation’s toughest team. On January 12, the first quarterfinals event will pit Ross Kellin’s Lakeland Blaze against Tim Riddle’s Cincinnati Norsemen in the first five bouts and in the second five bouts, Rob Kahn’s Tampa Terrors will take on UFC veteran Din Thomas’s Port St. Lucie Devils. Kicking off the 2008 Bonecrunch Fighting season at 7:30 p.m. at Lakeland Center in Lakeland, Fla., the January 12 fight card rosters include:

W        Ross Kellin’s Lakeland Blaze     vs.      Tim Riddle’s Cincinnati Norsemen
145 –   Steven Weeks (pro debut)             vs.       Ryan McIntosh (0-2-0)
155 –   Cris Fortin (pro debut)                    vs       Josh Beck (pro debut)
170 –   Joe Robinson (1-0-0)                     vs        Bobby Friend (pro debut)
170 –   Danny Ruiz (5-1-0)                        vs.       Chris Reedy (3-4-0)
H    -    John Schall (2-1-0)                       vs.       Matt Terlau (4-0-0)

W        Rob Kahn’s Tampa Terrors         vs.      Din Thomas’ Port St. Lucie Devils
135 –   Gilberto Burgos (1-0-0)                  vs.       Pat Seidel (1-1-0)
145 –   John Turner (pro debut)                 vs.       Stephen Bass (1-0-0)
170 –   Joe “Bamboo” Wissman (1-0-0)    vs.       Mike Hyman (pro debut)
185 –   Brandon Sene (2-0-0)                    vs.       Ira Guyer (2-0-0)
H    -    Alonzo Roane (pro debut)             vs.       Joe Stutzman (1-0-0)

The second fight card in the quarterfinals will take place at Robarts Arena in Sarasota, Fla. on February 9, when veteran IFL fighter Josh Odom’s Tallahassee Warriors will compete against UFC Fighter Seth Petruzelli’s Orlando Iron Monkeys. Also on February 9, Mike Lee’s Sarasota Slammers – with a new coach and fighters – will seek vengeance in a rematch with John Barrena’s Miami Crazy Wolves. Winning teams in the quarterfinals advance to the semifinals on April 5 at Robarts Arena in Sarasota, Fla. The championship date and location have yet to be determined. The victorious champion team receives a trophy and each fighter and trainer receives a custom championship ring.

One of the nation’s leading MMA video producers and distributors, FightZone TV, will broadcast Bonecrunch Fighting’s 2008 season on the Fox Sports-owned SunSports Network to over 6 million Florida homes and over 2 million national subscribers of Direct TV and the Dish Network. Randy Harris of Talking Sports Network will be the lead commentator, assisted by Benjamin Glossip and Joe Marquis. SunSports Network will broadcast at least four battles between Bonecrunch Fighting’s eight teams with acclaimed trainers and fighters from top martial arts schools.

Bonecrunch Fighting is the nation’s first mixed martial arts (MMA) league with local teams and local fan allegiance. With the assistance of an experienced and supportive leadership team, Sarasota, FL.-based Bonecrunch Fighting offers sponsorship opportunities for companies interested in reaching the 18-45 year old demographic locally, regionally, and nationally. Currently, the league has eight teams: Cincinnati Norsemen, Lakeland Blaze, Miami Crazy Wolves, Port St. Lucie Devils, Sarasota Slammers, Orlando Iron Monkeys, Tallahassee Warriors and Tampa Terrors. 

Photo: attpsl.com

From the TCPalm website:

Din Thomas, well-known in the Ultimate Fighting Championship world, was arrested Tuesday after police say he ran “illegal cage fighting” matches at a local training studio that he runs, a police spokesman said.

Thomas, 31, faces a felony prohibited competitions charge after police got a tip Oct. 19 about the matches at a facility he uses in St. Lucie West.

Inside, they observed two men fighting in an octagon-shaped ring surrounded by about 150 spectators. The fights reportedly weren’t sanctioned.

The state Boxing Commission, which is part of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, licenses and regulates professional boxing and mixed martial arts in Florida, DBPR spokesman Sam Farkas said.

Amateur boxing matches are regulated and licensed by a sanctioning committee that’s approved by the boxing commission, but no mixed martial arts fights are allowed at the amateur level.

“At the end of the day, he was having a professional mixed martial arts match that was not licensed through us,” Farkas said. “It was a case of unlicensed activity.”

Thomas is well known in the world of ultimate fighting, commonly known as mixed martial arts, a brutal combination of boxing, kickboxing and wrestling in a boxing ring or cage. The fighting is so intense that most fights are limited to three five-minute rounds.

Thomas, who lost last month to Kenny Florian in an Ultimate Fighting Championship match televised live on Spike TV, has a gym on South U.S. 1 near Port St. Lucie Boulevard. It’s named American Top Team Port St. Lucie (ATTPSL) because of an affiliation with American Top Team, a national organization with franchises across the country.

A Delaware native, Thomas was 12 when he moved with his family to Port St. Lucie, graduating from Port St.

attpsl.com

On September 27, 2001, Din Thomas wins by knockout in 1:03 over Jason Bender in Georgia.