Ricardo Mayorga

Mayorga is a former WBA/WBC Welterweight champion, and a former WBC Junior Middleweight champion. Holding a competitive record of 29-7 with 23 knockouts and 1 draw, Mayorga’s orthodox boxing style has contrasted with his unorthodox style outside of the squared circle.

He’s faced boxing greats like Vernon Forrest, Felix “Tito” Trinidad, Cory Spinks, Fernando Vargas, “Sugar” Shane Mosley and “The Golden Boy” Oscar De La Hoya.

In short, Mayorga is a certifiable legend.

Now Mayorga wants to climb the ladder in MMA.

Mayorga’s brawling style has been described many times as perfectly suited for MMA.

I conquered the world in the boxing ring, and all the while I was puffing cigarettes and drinking beer,” Mayorga said. “I won three world-title belts, and I stood toe-to-toe with so many legends, beating some of them. Vernon Forrest, God rest his soul, was a great boxer, yet I beat him back twice.

I cannot be denied as I am a force of nature. Now I will shock the MMA fans, and I know so many of my fans from boxing will follow me as I expand my repertoire. They can’t deny me in MMA, and I will destroy Din Thomas. I am going to smash him the way I smashed all the big superstars of boxing. To me a fight is a fight in a ring, in a cage or on the street. Fighting is my middle name.”

With flurries that come out of nowhere and a rock-solid chin to boot, Mayorga has silenced doubters multiple times before, including in back-to-back victories over Vernon Forrest in 2003.

The first fight saw El Matador shock the world by dropping Forrest in the first round before earning a knockout in the third round. Mayorga stuck his chin out to Forrest more than once in the second fight, practically begging the favored fighter to hit him: “I wanted to let him know that I was the boss, I was his daddy, I was the champ,” Mayorga said after the bout.

Mayorga was featured for the first time on the cover of Ring Magazine’s December 2003 issue, released in October, with a cover that read, “The craziest man in the sport: Mayorga lights up boxing.” His intention is light up MMA in much the same way.