Boxing promoter Don King has been trying to halt the upcoming MMA debut bout of former boxing champion Ricardo Mayorga, who faces Din Thomas this Saturday at the Shine Fights 3 “Worlds Collide” event in Fayetteville, NC.

Mayorga and the president of Shine Fights Den Price say the show will go on.

“MMA fans are going to see an electrifying evening of fighting. I have faith in the American justice system, and I believe justice will prevail. When one operates within the rules and regulations, one has nothing to worry about. As far as King goes, it is just his usual smoke-and-mirrors. He shoots his mouth off about an injunction to try and sway the media’s perception, and then waits until the last minute to file in hopes of affecting the success of the promotion,” said Price.

“I know the difference between MMA and boxing and so does Don King. The members of the media, and both MMA and boxing fans, can clearly see that Don King is up to his ‘trickerations.’ This is a wonderful and exciting promotion Shine Fights has put together for both MMA and boxing fans, and I look forward to Saturday, May 15th.”

For Mayorga, crossing over to mma is also about making a living.

“Don King cannot stop this fight because I have only signed contracts with Don having to do with my boxing career,” said Mayorga. “This is ridiculous, because Don knows he has not fought me in 18 months and a fighter makes his living and supports his family based on fighting.”

HT: MMAWeekly.com

Weigh-ins for Saturday's Shine Fight event, "Worlds Collide: Mayorga vs.
Thomas," are scheduled for Friday at Big Apple Restaurant & Sports
Pub in Fayetteville, N.C.

The event, which begins at 5 p.m. ET, is free and open to the public.

Fayetteville also hosts the following night's pay-per-view event, which
takes place at Crown Coliseum.

Press Release

EMMY-AWARD WINNING SPORTSCASTER BRUCE BECK AND FORMER BOXING WORLD CHAMPION
BOBBY CZYZ

NEW YORK, NY (May 11, 2010) – Not only will MMA fans see a great evening of mixed martial arts competition on May 15TH, but they will also hear expert commentary from the broadcast team brought on-board to announce the event. Shine Fights Promotion CEO Devin Price today announced that 2006 New York Emmy Award Winner for Outstanding Sports Anchor Bruce Beck and three-time world champion Bobby Czyz have joined MMA star Jason Chambers to form the broadcast team for the May 15th PPV broadcast of “Worlds Collide: Mayorga vs. Thomas.” In addition, Karyn Bryant will serve as a correspondent for the broadcast. Bryant’s lengthy television experience includes assignments with SHOWTIME’s Championship Boxing series, CBS’ “The Early Show” (Guest Anchor), CNN’s “77th Academy Awards Red Carpet” program (Host), and TNT’s “Super Bowl 98″ (Host/Reporter).

Beck is a household name among sports fans, having hosted an array of sports programs and covered a multitude of major sporting events. He is in his thirteenth year with News 4 New York, and is the station’s lead sports anchor. In 2006 he received the New York Emmy for Outstanding Sports Anchor, and for three consecutive years (2007-2009) he was selected as New York State Sportscaster of the Year by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association. Among the sports programs he has hosted are Mike’d Up, News 4 New York’s Sunday Night Sports Show, the Toyota Giants Report with Coach Tom Coughlin, and The Rutgers Report with Coach Greg Schiano. The list of sporting events he has covered for News 4 New York reads like a grocery list of the world’s premier competitions: Super Bowl’s XLII and XLIII, the World Series, the NBA Finals, the Stanley Cup Finals, the U.S. Open Tennis Championship, the U.S. Open Golf Championship, the NCAA Final Four, the Kentucky Derby and the 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2008 Olympic Games. Beck also served as the blow-by-blow announcer for numerous UFC events, including UFC 4 thru UFC 15.

“I am looking forward to calling the action on this exciting presentation by Shine Fights,” said Beck. “And I can’t wait to see Ricardo Mayorga. This warrior has battled the likes of Shane Mosley, Oscar De La Hoya and Felix Trinidad in a boxing ring. Now he makes the transition to MMA in ‘Worlds Collide.’ Does he have the goods? We’ll find out soon enough!”

Czyz compiled a record of 44-8 (28 Kos) and won three world championships during his successful 18-year boxing career. A member of the “International High IQ Society” (Mensa) Czyz was also ranked in the top 10 in six different weight classes. Among the boxers he fought were Evander Holyfield, Prince Charles Williams, Donnie Lalonde, Virgil Hill, and Dennis Andries. Since retiring from boxing, Czyz has built a successful career as a broadcaster, most notably as a commentator for SHOWTIME’s “Championship Boxing” series.

“Ricardo Mayorga was an ‘ANIMAL’ in the boxing world and claims to have some grappling skills,” said Czyz. “We know that Din Thomas can grapple, so this may come down TO WHO LANDS WELL FIRST and WHO HAS THE BEST CHIN! I think this has to be an exciting fight based on the styles and tenacity of these two fighters!”

“We are very proud to announce this dynamic and well-rounded broadcast team,” said executive producer Brian Ricco. “‘Worlds Collide’ is a very unique event and we have assembled a diversified team of talented announcers, with both boxing and MMA backgrounds, that will reflect this cutting edge event.”

Beck and Czyz will join previously announced Jason Chambers as part of the Shine Fights commentary team. Their debut will take place on the “Worlds Collide” fight card that will feature a 160-pound catchweight main event between former boxing champion Ricardo Mayorga and MMA veteran Din Thomas. The co-main event will showcase a 185 lb. bout between former EliteXC Middleweight Champion Murilo “Ninja” Rua and Canadian warrior Travis “The Gladiator” Galbraith. Also showcased will be a welterweight contest between MMA veteran Nick “The Goat” Thompson and Brazilian star Eduardo Pamplona. In addition, a surefire ground war is set to take place at 175 pounds between 2009 ADCC Absolute Champion Braulio Estima and former Olympic Judo competitor Rick Hawn. Also, a 205-pound grappler’s dream will also take place between Brazilian star Alexandre “Cacareco” Ferreira and IFL veteran and BJJ black belt Jamal “The Suit” Patterson, and a simmering slugfest between PRIDE veterans Charles “Kid Khaos” Bennett and Brazilian star Luiz Azeredo will round out the PPV-broadcast main card.

“WORLDS COLLIDE” is taking place at the Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville, NC, and will be beamed on PPV on cable and satellite in the United States and Canada. The event will be broadcasted in High-Definition, and it will be available in both English and Spanish (where available). The broadcast will start at 9 PM ET/6 PM PT and will be produced by MultiVision Media, Inc. There will be a 30-minute countdown show prior to the live event at 8:30 PM ET/5:30 PM PT. The event will be available for $29.95. Tickets may be obtained by calling Ticketmaster at 1-800-736-1420, or online at www.ticketmaster.com, or in person at the Crown Coliseum Box Office. For box office hours and more info, please call (910) 438-4100.

For more information on Shine Fights or “Worlds Collide,” please follow Shine on Twitter @ShineFights, Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/ShineFights), YouTube ( http://www.youtube.com/ShineFights), or become a fan on Facebook.

On May 15th Alexandre “Cacareco” Ferreira (18-6) will put his seven fight win streak on the line against Jamal “The Suit” Patterson when the two meet at Shine Fight’s third show, Worlds Collide: Mayorga vs. Thomas.

Seventeen of “Cacareco” has fought mostly within his native Brazil and is quite the submission fighter, earning seventeen of his eighteen professional victories by submission.

“Shine Fights 3 – Worlds Collide” will take place on May 15th at the Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville, North Carolina and will feature a main event bout between Din Thomas vs. Ricardo Mayorga. The co-main event features a middleweight bout between Murilo “Ninja” Rua vs. Travis Galbraith. The event will be broadcast live on PPV beginning at 9 p.m. EST (6 p.m. PST.

Ferreira: “It was a good fight. I got caught in the beginning with a hook, but other than that everything went the way my team and I planned. Once we were on the ground, I felt I could submit him very fast.”

Ferreira: “It feels good. It’s a mission accomplished kind of feeling. That’s my game plan: go out there and end the fight as fast as I can. So far, it seems to be working.”

Ferreira: “You can expect a great fight. If it’s going to be fast or not, nobody knows. I hope I can win the way I have been winning, but he’s a tough opponent. So, it’s going to be a good bout.”

Ferreira: “Basically, Luta Livre is a kind of Jiu-Jitsu without the gi. Luta Livre uses lots of leg-locks, knee- locks, heel-locks, etc. Nowadays, because of ADCC, everything is called submission.“

Ferreira: “Well, I have fought the very best Jiu-Jitsu specialists in the world, and I have a pretty good record over them. I think I will do a good job against Patterson as well.“

Ferreira: “I’m really happy where I am right now. I have a 3-fight contract with Shine. This organization has treated me and Chute-Boxe Team very well, with a lot of respect. I want to fight for Shine as long as they want me there.”

Ferreira: “Actually, I accepted this fight, but Lyoto Machida didn’t. At the time, he didn’t think it was a good fight for him, especially because he was on his way to a title shot. But I dream about fighting the best fighters in the world. He’s without a doubt one of the best, so I’d like to fight him.”

Ferreira: “As I’ve always said, I don’t choose opponents. The only thing I want is to fight good fighters.”

Ferreira: “205 is the weight class I’m used to fighting at. I feel comfortable with this weight. It’s natural to me. I dropped to a lower weight class because many people told me I was not tall enough to fight 205 guys. I think I have to prove them wrong. Right now, I’m fighting at 205, and don’t plan to move to a heavier class, nor to a lighter class, either.”

Ferreira: “I am right now at Chute-Boxe. I feel at home there. When I am in Curitiba (where Chute-Boxe headquarters are located), I’m 100% focused on my fight. I don’t do anything else. It is 24-7 training, training and training. I have no intention to go to the States to train.”

Ferreira: “Rudimar Fedrigo, Chute-Boxe President, is my manager and Chute-Boxe is my team.”

Ferreira: “On May 15th, the ones who don’t know me yet will have a chance to get to know my fighting style. So, turn on your TV sets, gather your friends and be ready for some good action. Whether they’re in North Carolina to watch the fights in-person, or watching at home on PPV, they will get a great show. I’ll do my part to guarantee that. Cacareco’s in the house!”

Photo courtesy of Sherdog.com.

This Saturday boxer Ricardo Mayorga will make his mixed-martial-arts debut against Din Thomas at the “Shine Fights: Worlds Collide: Mayorga vs. Thomas” event in North Carolina.

Don King Productions is looking to stop Mayorga from fighting by filing for injunctive relief against Shine Fight Promotions.

Shine Fights 3 “Worlds Collide: Mayorga vs. Thomas” is set for May 15th at the Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville, N.C.

Sherdog.com has the news.

In its filings, DKP cites excerpts taken from Mayorga’s promotional agreement with the organization dated October 1, 2009, which states: “Fighter shall not participate in any bouts other than bouts promoted or co-promoted by Promoter or for which Promoter has granted Fighter prior written permission.”

The motion also argues that if Mayorga loses to or is injured by Thomas, it will “substantially impair” the boxing organization’s ability to promote Mayorga moving forward. DKP states that it has already secured Mayorga’s next boxing assignment against current WBA World Middleweight Champion Felix Sturm in August or September 2010.

Former IFL light-heavyweight title challenger Jamal “The Suit” Patterson (5-2) will fight for the first time in over a year when he meets Alexandre Ferreira on May 15th at the Shine Fights 3 – Worlds Collide event.

“Shine Fights 3 – Worlds Collide” will take place on May 15th at the Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville, North Carolina and will feature a main event bout between Din Thomas vs. Ricardo Mayorga. The co-main event features a middleweight bout between Murilo “Ninja” Rua vs. Travis Galbraith. The event will be broadcast live on PPV beginning at 9 p.m. EST (6 p.m. PST).

Patterson has a strong Jiu-Jitsu base winning four of his five victories by submission. In his last fight he defeated current Strikeforce heavyweight Antwain Britt by guillotine choke at an Ultimate Warrior Challenge in February of last year.

Our own reporter Terry T. had a chance to interview Jamal recently about his upcoming Shine Fights bout.

Jamal: “Well we have kind ran right beside one another in the grappling world for many years, I know hes a very good grappler a very good wrestler and a good mma fighter. He’s going to be a tough opponent and I plan on beating him.”

Jamal: “I am a pretty well rounded fighter and my plan is to exploit his weaknesses and take advantage of them—why fight fire with fire. I think I’m well rounded enough where I can find peoples weaknesses and capitalize on them.”

Jamal: “It was exciting; it was only one fight in the organization so it wasn’t as if I worked my way up. The ultimate goal is to win in a big promotion or a big organization and I’m not going to be happy until that happens.”

Jamal: “MMA is defiantly more in terms of conditioning and making sure your shape, but a lot of it does run hand in hand. A lot of the techniques of getting your mind right before games, and the aspect of having the support of a team because I have a team that works behind me to help me get ready for fights. The athletism also is big, if you have ever played a division one sport it’s a veryimpressive things with the elite athletes and same things in terms of mixed martial arts. I am older now so I don’t need to develop my strength, it’s a lot of maintaining now and focusing on technique.”

Jamal: “I will always train with Renzo till either him or I die. Training with Renzo with always a good experience he is like my second father and is a great motivator as well as coach and a great person. The more I can be like Renzo the better off I will be.”

Jamal: “I sell a medical device, and I find the time by making sure I am a very dedicated person and very structured. I get up at 530 or 6 running or working my strength and conditioning and later on in the day I will do my other things like go to boxing and after go on to jui juitsu or wrestling. I am lucky, I am blessed that I have a gym that I teach and train out which helps me train and have my students that push me. I have my brother and a lot of other good guys around me.”

Jamal: “I love doing it. I love working and having a full time job and I love competing and teaching I love being around the sport. The day that I don’t enjoy it anymore is the day I stop training or fighting but I don’t see that any time in the near future. My body can still do it if I felt like my body couldn’t do it anymore if I couldn’t recover from injuries or if I felt my job was hurting from it I would stop but right now I don’t feel like either one are being affected if anything I feel stronger than I’ve ever felt in my life.”

Jamal: “I don’t think they’re interested in me. I don’t know why, maybe they don’t like my personality; maybe they don’t like my look. Maybe they don’t like that I’m too smart when I talk on TV, but I am not too worried about that if I keep winning that stuff will work itself out.”

Jamal: “To my opponent hopefully he stays healthy and this fight happens, to my fans I want to continue to thank them for their support and you are going to see big things in 2010.”

Photo courtesy of Sherdog.com.

US Grappling returns to Kerr Vance Academy on Saturday, July 24, 2010 for Grapplemania NC! This event will have divisions for adults, 30+ men, and juveniles. This is a single elimination Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and submission grappling tournament.

The first 50 pre-registered (and paid) competitors will receive a free T-shirt!

Saturday weigh ins will be held from 8 AM to 9:30 AM for anyone competing in no gi divisions, and will be extended to noon for any adults that will only be competing in the gi. All juvenile competitors must weigh in by 9:30 AM. Competitors do not need to wear the gi during weigh ins. Competitors can also register and weigh in Friday night. More information on Friday night weigh ins coming soon.

Juvenile divisions at US Grappling events now use the Madison Bracketing System. There will no longer be preset weight classes for juveniles. Using the Madison system means children and teens will be less likely to cut weight since they won’t know the weight classes in advance.

Kerr-Vance Academy
700 Vance Academy Rd
Henderson, NC 27537-8725
MAP

More information on the official site.

Press Release

Miami, FL (USA): This Tuesday, May 4th, Shine Fight Promotions will take to the airwaves to promote their upcoming May 15th pay-per-view event, “Worlds Collide: Mayorga vs. Thomas,” as several Shine personnel will appear on MMAjunkie.com Radio. The show has declared May 3rd to be “Shine Fights Day,” as Shine Fights CEO Devin Price, Charles “Kid Khaos” Bennett, and main event fighter and two-time former world boxing champion Ricardo “El Matador” Mayorga will all appear on their radio program.

Price’s segment is scheduled to begin at 9:30 AM, followed by Bennett at 10 AM, and concluded with Mayorga at 10:30 AM (all Pacific Time). Fans can listen in at http://mmajunkie.com/misc/radio.mma.

“MMAjunkie.com Radio really tries to keep its finger on the pulse of the MMA nation, and it’s clear that Shine Fights and ‘Worlds Collide: Mayorga vs. Thomas’ deserves a day all its own,” said George Garcia, MMAjunkie.com Radio’s director of operations and primary host. “A lot of our readers are very interested in this card and are excited about a boxer taking on an MMA fighter while both competitors are still relevant and in their prime years. We’re very excited to talk to some of the key Shine figures and learning more about this intriguing event.”

“George, Goze and the crew have been a great extension of the MMAjunkie.com brand, and we’re very excited about MMAjunkie.com Radio’s Shine Fights Day on May 4,” said Dann Stupp, MMAjunkie.com’s co-founder and editor-in-chief. “Shine Fights has accomplished a lot in a little amount of time, and as a
news organization, MMAjunkie.com is very happy to deliver our readers an inside look at a fast-rising organization. I hope our readers call in and submit questions so we they get the answers they want about Shine and its future prospects.”

Shine Fights CEO Devin Price is excited about “Shine Fights Day” on MMAjunkie Radio. “Having Ricardo, Charles, and myself appear on a professional and quality show like MMAjunkie Radio is a privilege that we
look forward to taking advantage of. Shine was founded as a company for both the fighters and the fans, and ‘Worlds Collide’ was put together with that in mind. On Tuesday, George, Goze, and the others with MMAjunkie will utilize their considerable reach to help us get our message out to the MMA masses that much more. We are appreciative of this tremendous opportunity afforded to us by this wonderful website and its associated radio show,” he says.

“WORLDS COLLIDE” will be headlined by a 160-pound catchweight main event between former boxing champion Ricardo Mayorga and MMA veteran Din Thomas, and the co-main event will feature a fight between former EliteXC Middleweight Champion Murilo “Ninja” Rua and Canadian warrior Travis “The Gladiator” Galbraith. In addition, a welterweight contest between MMA veteran Nick “The Goat” Thompson and Brazilian star Eduardo Pamplona will entertain Shine fans. Also, a surefire ground war is set to take place at 175 pounds between 2009 ADCC Absolute Champion Braulio Estima and former Olympic Judo competitor Rick Hawn, and grappling specialists Alexandre “Cacareco” Ferrara and Jamal “The Suit” Patterson will also do battle.

The event is taking place at the Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville, NC, and will be beamed on PPV on cable and satellite in the United States and Canada. The event will be broadcasted in High-Definition, and it will be available in both English and Spanish (where available). The broadcast will start at 9 PM ET/6 PM PT and will be produced by MultiVision Media, Inc. There will be a 30-minute countdown show prior to the live event at 8:30 PM ET/5:30 PM PT. The event will be available for $29.95. Tickets may be obtained by calling Ticketmaster at 1-800-736-1420, or online at www.ticketmaster.com, or in person at the Crown Coliseum Box Office. For box office hours and more info, please call (910) 438-4100.

For more information on Shine Fights or “Worlds Collide,” please follow Shine on Twitter @ShineFights, Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/ShineFights), YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/ShineFights), or become a fan on Facebook.