Sparks flew at yesterday’s press conference to announce “Worlds Collide: Mayorga vs. Thomas” the May 15th MMA fight card that will serve as Ricardo Mayorga’s introduction to the sport. The former boxing world champion and his opponent, Din Thomas, began taunting each other from the moment the two entered Victor’s Café in New York City. Thomas, wearing a T-shirt that read, “I’m Din Thomas: Google Me,” boasted that he considered putting Mayorga’s name on the shirt’s back because “that is where Mayorga will be on May 15…on his back.” Not to be outdone, Mayorga scolded Thomas and warned, “You haven’t been hit by your father the way I am going to hit you.”
The “sweet nothings” whispered by the fighters continued until Mayorga lit a cigarette and blew smoke in Thomas’ face, which elicited a shove from Thomas and a chuckle from the crowd. Minutes later, just when things appeared to be settling down, Mayorga cracked Thomas in the face with a left jab that appeared to buckle the legs of Thomas. The two fighters were restrained and the press conference concluded.
Among those in attendance was NY State Athletic Commission Chairwoman Melvina Latham, who is an MMA fan and who acknowledged that “she didn’t hesitate for a minute” when asked if she would attend. NY State does not license MMA bouts, so perhaps Latham’s support will mean a change in government policy in the near future.
The May 15th bout will take place in a ring, not a cage, at the Crown Center in Fayetteville, NC. Devin Price, CEO of Shine Fight Promotions, announced the choice of a ring because “we want to differentiate ourselves from others.”
The event will be available in the United States and Canada on PPV via cable and satellite. It will be broadcasted in High-Definition, and will be available in both English and Spanish (where available). The MMA showdown will be distributed live on Pay-Per-View beginning at 9 PM PT/ET by MultiVision Media, Inc. on Saturday, May 15th. There will be a 30 minute countdown show prior to the live event at 5:30 PM PT/8:30 PM ET. The suggested retail price for the “Worlds Collide” is $29.95. For more information, please visit www.ShineFights.com.
