MMA’s Greats of the States | Delaware: Din Thomas

Mixed martial artists come from every corner of the globe, bearing a variety of styles. Sometimes, fighters are products of their environment, favoring disciplines prevalent in the country or state from which they hail. Various regions of the United States are considered factories for great fighters, though that certainly is not the case with each state. In this weekly Sherdog.com series, the spotlight will shine on the best mixed martial artist of all-time from each of the 50 states. Fighters do not necessarily need to be born in a given state to represent it; they simply need to be associated with it. For example, reigning Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight titleholder Robbie Lawler may have been born in San Diego, but few would recognize him as a Californian.

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It has been a few years since last we saw Din Thomas compete inside the MMA cage, but his mark on the world of hand-to-hand combat remains etched in stone. Though he never captured a major championship, the Wilmington, Delaware, native was considered a top contender in his prime.

A quasi-staple of the early Zuffa-era Ultimate Fighting Championship, Thomas was always viewed as a threat to up-and-coming contenders and gave fits to a number of the sport’s elite. Thomas tore through the ranks of World Extreme Fighting -- on Aug. 26, 2000, he became the second man to defeat eventual UFC lightweight champion Jens Pulver -- before touching down in the UFC. His Octagon debut at UFC 32 did not go as he had hoped, as he succumbed to strikes from B.J. Penn, but “Dinyero” bounced back with wins over veterans Fabiano Iha and Matt Serra.

An appearance on Season 4 of “The Ultimate Fighter” afforded Thomas a second chance at the UFC in 2006. He delivered consecutive wins over Rich Clementi, Clay Guida and Jeremy Stephens before losses to Kenny Florian and Josh Neer resulted in his release.

A longtime member of American Top Team, Thomas announced his retirement in 2014. He finished with a 26-9 career record and 22 finishes.