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Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Ohio-based Shine Fights signs boxer Ricardo Mayorga to MMA deal
Shine Fights, an Ohio-based mixed-martial-arts organization headed by Ohio State MBA graduate Devin Price, today signed veteran boxer Ricardo Mayorga to an MMA contract.
The organization, which hosted its second-ever event in Miami, Fla., this past weekend, will likely feature Mayorga’s pro MMA debut in early 2010.
Mayorga isn’t the first boxer to move into MMA - Indianapolis’ Chris Lytle, K.J. Noons, Terry Martin and others have both boxed and fought MMA professionally - but, like Ray Mercer, he’s definitely one of the biggest names to make the transition.
“I’m going after some tough competition for Mayorga because I don’t want it to look like we’re trying to feed him guppies,” Shine Fights matchmaker Ron Foster told MMAjunkie.com. “He says he wants to fight for real, so let’s let him fight. He said, ‘I’m from the streets. I’m a real fighter. I’m bored with boxing, and I want to fight.’”
Mayorga, who turns 36 next month, has racked up a 29-7-1 boxing record during a career that included WBA/WBC welterweight and WBC junior middleweight titles. The Nicaraguan, though, is just 3-4 since 2003. And the fact that he apparently still smokes after his fights and has little if any MMA training probably doesn’t help in a sport that’s so physically demanding.
Still, though, in an industry dominated by the UFC and crowded with regional promotions, Shine Fights grabbed some headlines and stood out a bit from the pack with the Mayorga signing.
Whether Mayorga wins or loses, it’s a good publicity move for the upstart promotion.
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