Boxing and MMA have had a complex relationship in the past. Certain people in either sport don’t like the other, while others are happy for the two to co-exist.
fighters themselves have often transitioned between the two, and in recent times this has increased. At one time Boxing was the sport where all the money was and MMA was something that most would struggle to earn a living in.
More recently though with the mainstream acceptance and success of such promotions as the UFC and StrikeForce, the disparity is changing. Although there is still a big gap there, top MMA fighters now earn in the millions per fight, and the temptation for some boxers to switch over is there. This works both ways of course, with the likes of UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva planning to take up boxing after his MMA career is over, having apparently already agreed to fight Roy Jones Jr.
Recent converts to MMA include James Toney, Shannon Briggs and Ray Mercer, although so far not all of them have managed to secure a fight.
Amidst the current crop of fighters crossing over between the two sports is Ricardo Mayorga, who takes on Din Thomas in the Shine Fights promotion on May 15th. Mayorga was one of the most colorful characters in boxing, known for smoking and drinking beer after fights, taunting his opponents to hit him and his savage fighting style. Of course MMA is a different beats to boxing, and just how much Mayorga has picked up since his decision to cross over is unclear.
Thomas says he plans to stand with Mayorga Get more pictures like this from SHERDOG.COM
Taking on a veteran of some 30 fights in Thomas also, true to character Mayorga is jumping in at the deep end.
The fight itself will probably come down to whether or not Thomas decides to take the fight to the ground, and what Mayorga has learned if it gets there.
Undoubtedly Mayorga has the edge standing up, although of course now also has to deal with knees elbows, backfists and kicks. If he comes in unprepared he will probably meet with the same end as many other one dimensional fighters who have tried their hand at MMA. If that is the case then all Thomas has to do is not to play into Ricardo’s strength to win the fight.
