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Yadong 'Kung Fu Monkey' Song (16-5-1, 1 NC) is a Pro MMA Fighter out of Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China and the #21st ranked Top Bantamweight MMA fighter. View complete Tapology profile, bio, rankings, photos, news and record. Welcome back to Across the MMA Universe. Every Friday morning we scour the sport's landscape, preview upcoming cards, tell interesting stories and, if at all possible, have fun. Let's get it on.

• This Brazilian is not only one of the best UFC fighters ever but also considered by MMA lovers to arguably be one of most influential ambassadors of this sport. He authoritatively came out a winner of the UFC 1, UFC 2 and UFC 4 tournaments between 1993 and 1994; credited with most consecutive submission victories (11) during this period.
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Din Yero Thomas (born September 28, 1976) is a retired Americanmixed martial artist who was featured on The Ultimate Fighter 4: The Comeback. In the Ultimate Fighting Championships, Thomas is a UFC 41 Lightweight Tournament Semifinalist. He holds a Black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Ricardo Liborio and currently runs two successful Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and MMA academies in Port St. Lucie, Florida.^[2] Thomas holds notable victories of (UFC Lightweight Champion) Jens Pulver, (UFC Welterweight Champion) Matt Serra, and (Strikeforce Lightweight Champion) Clay Guida.

Thomas has acted in local independent films, portraying The Fight Kid in Chris Fuller's Loren Cass and Reverend Pierce in Natalie, Queen of Scots.^[3]

Background[edit]

Thomas was born in Wilmington, Delaware, where he lived until he was 12 years old. When he was 12 Thomas moved to Port St. Lucie, Florida, and attended Port St. Lucie High School. Thomas flirted with baseball and football growing up, but ultimately did not have a serious interest in team sports because he did not like negatively affecting his teammates. A few weeks before his 18th birthday, Thomas' life changed drastically. He had recently broken up with his girlfriend, and in a fit of rage beat up her new boyfriend at her house. The young Thomas was charged with battery and had to spend his weekends in prison for the next year. Soon, he turned his attention to jiu-jitsu and began training in a small academy near his home.^[4]

Mixed martial arts career[edit]

Before entering the UFC, Thomas held a 12–1 MMA record including wins over future UFClightweight champion Jens Pulver and Dokonjonosuke Mishima, with his only loss coming to future UFClightweight title challenger Caol Uno. Thomas made his UFC debut at UFC 32, in a fight against future UFC Lightweight and Welterweight championB.J. Penn, where he lost by TKO (strikes) in the first round. Thomas returned at UFC 33, defeating Fabiano Iha by unanimous decision.

At UFC 39, Thomas faced Japanese superstar Caol Uno in a rematch. The fight was part of a tournament to determine the new UFC Lightweight Champion. After three rounds, Thomas lost by unanimous decision. His next fight was a split decision victory over future UFC welterweight champion Matt Serra at UFC 41. This fight would prove somewhat controversial, due to one of the judges mistakenly placing the score he assigned to Thomas in the column reserved for Serra.^{[citation needed]} This caused Serra to be declared the winner by decision, but the mistake was discovered and Thomas and his team were notified of the change, giving Thomas the split decision victory. This would be Thomas' last UFC fight for 3 years.

Thomas was a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter 4 where he defeated Mikey Burnett in the first round, before losing to training partner Chris Lytle by decision in the semi-finals. Thomas returned at the finale on November 11, 2006, to face Rich Clementi, winning via rear naked choke in the second round.

Thomas was then defeated via submission (rear naked choke) by future UFC lightweight title challenger Kenny Florian after injuring his knee in a takedown attempt while headlining the main event at UFC Fight Night 11. Doctors said in his takedown attempt that Thomas tore his meniscus and stretched his PCL.^[5][6] His most recent UFC fight was a unanimous decision loss to Josh Neer at UFC Fight Night 13. He was released from his UFC contract after this fight.^[7]

After his loss to Neer, Thomas decided to drop a weight class to featherweight (145 lbs). He debuted at featherweight against Dustin Pieken securing a triangle choke in the first round. He has followed that up with TKO wins over Gabe Lemley and Dustin Pague.

Thomas had signed with Shine Fights and was expected to make his debut against Ricardo Mayorga on May 15 in Fayetteville, North Carolina but it was canceled after Don King was granted an injunction preventing Mayorga from fighting.^[8]

Thomas was scheduled to return after a nearly two-year-long layoff Oct. 7, 2011, at Fight Time 7 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, a promotion headed up by his American Top Team boxing trainer, Howard Davis Jr. But Thomas was in a car accident prior to the event and had to be hospitalized for his injuries. His fight against George Sheppard was scheduled to be the main event of Fight Time 7: The Return of Din Thomas.^[9]

On January 2, 2014, Thomas announced his retirement from mixed martial arts.^[10]

Coaching career[edit]

Besides his own professional mixed martial artist career, Thomas has been coaching since the early days of MMA. He started coaching at Mike Metzger’s Internal Power Karate School in 1999. Thomas owned multiple MMA and jiu-jitsu schools until he was recruited to become one of the primary coaches at American Top Team in 2015. Before becoming a full-time coach at ATT, he had been partially affiliated with the team and its athletes since 2001.^[11] In March 2020, Thomas announced that he had departed from ATT in order to pursue his own MMA camp.^[1]

Personal life[edit]

Thomas is married and has a son named Ethon.^[12]

He also appeared in the 2007 Gotham Award-nominated independent feature film Loren Cass which had its United States premiere at Dennis Hopper's CineVegas Film Festival and its international premiere in the prestigious Filmmakers of the Present competition at the Locarno International Film Festival in Switzerland. The film was released in theaters and on DVD in 2009 by Kino International.

Thomas was arrested on October 30, 2007, on a charge of 'felony prohibited competitions' in Port St. Lucie, Florida at his training gym.^[13] As of November 30, 2007, the Assistant State Attorney's office decided not to file formal charges against Thomas and filed paperwork dismissing the charge on which he was arrested. The Assistant D.A. stated if the fighter or participants were students of Thomas' school, and the purpose of the school is to teach martial arts, then they meet the exception to the law.^[14]

Championships and accomplishments[edit]

Mixed martial arts[edit]

• Ultimate Fighting Championship
  • Fight of the Night (One time) vs. Clay Guida
  • Submission of the Night (One time) vs. Jeremy Stephens
• World Extreme Fighting
  • World Extreme Fighting Lightweight Championship (Three times)^[15]
• Reality Super Fighting
  • Reality Super Fighting Lightweight Championship (Two times)^[15]
• International Sport Combat Federation
  • ISCF World Lightweight Championship (One time)^[16]

Mixed martial arts record[edit]

Notes and references[edit]

1. ^ ^abSteven Marrocco (March 22, 2020). 'Din Thomas departs American Top Team, plans to groom more fighters'. mmafighting.com.
2. ^'Archived copy'. Archived from the original on 2006-11-10. Retrieved 2006-12-01.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
3. ^'Din Thomas'. IMDb.
4. ^[1]^{[dead link]}
5. ^'UFC Fight Night 11 Shaping Up'. Nokaut.com. 2007-07-12. Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-07-12.
6. ^''KenFlo' Replaces Spencer Fisher for UFC Main Event'. UFC.com. 2007-08-07. Archived from the original on 2007-08-20. Retrieved 2007-08-07.
7. ^'Report: UFC Cuts Thomas, Speer, and Hironaka'. MMA Junkie.com. May 5, 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-05-08. Retrieved 2008-05-05.
8. ^'Archived copy'. Archived from the original on 2010-05-19. Retrieved 2010-05-17.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
9. ^'UFC Vet Din Thomas Injured in Car Accident, Misses Main Event Return'. Mmafighting.com. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
10. ^'Brent Weedman and Din Thomas retire'. www.fighters.com. January 2, 2014. Archived from the original on 2014-01-03.
11. ^Matt Bricker (June 1, 2018). 'Din Thomas: The Coaching Mindset From One of the Best'. mmasucka.com.
12. ^'Din Thomas - A Veteran's Journey Continues this Thursday'. UFC.com. 2007-01-23. Archived from the original on 2009-02-07. Retrieved 2009-08-06.
13. ^'UFC's Din Thomas ARRESTED'. www.angrymarks.com. 2007-10-30. Retrieved 2009-08-06.
14. ^'Archived copy'. Archived from the original on 2007-12-02. Retrieved 2007-11-30.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
15. ^ ^ab'Din Thomas'. UFC.ca. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
16. ^'ISCF Past Champions'. Iscfmma.com. Retrieved 8 October 2017.

External links[edit]

• Professional MMA record for Din Thomas from Sherdog
• Din Thomas at UFC
• November, 2006 Interview]

As the UFC looks to kick off 2021 with two elements that were sorely lacking for most of 2020 -- Conor McGregor and fans in attendance -- this brief pause in the calendar offers the perfect window to take stock and look ahead.

So who will have the best year of all? After a 2020 that was anything but normal, there will be plenty of opportunities in 2021 for fighters to distance themselves from the pack, and our panel of MMA experts sets out to determine who will step forward.

This isn't a list of the 30 best fighters in the UFC -- it's a ranking based on opportunities that fighters have already signed on for or that they project to have in the coming year. It takes into account who they'll be fighting and who else could stand in front of them in their respective divisions over the next 12 months.

And while there are certainly some surprises to be found on this list, just because someone didn't make the cut for this top 30 it doesn't mean they can't drastically improve their fortunes over the next 12 months. In fact, when you compare this year's top 30 to what was projected for 2020, the overlap isn't as big as you might imagine.

And so, with all of that explanation out of the way, it's time to reveal the top 10. If you've missed the first two entries of the 2021 ESPN MMA Rank, check out those who ranked from 21-30, as well as 11-20.

Write-ups composed by Marc Raimondi and Jeff Wagenheim.

10. Aljamain Sterling (19-3)

2020 record: 1-0 (SUB1 over Cory Sandhagen)

2020 ESPN MMA rank: Unranked

Next fight: March 6 vs. Petr Yan (UFC 259)

2021 outlook: Sterling established himself as the clear-cut next challenger for the bantamweight title with a stunning, first-round submission win over Cory Sandhagen at UFC 250 in June. Sterling was scheduled to challenge champion Petr Yan at UFC 256 in December, but the bout fell through because of an undisclosed issue with Yan. The title fight was recently rebooked for March, and it should be another major showcase for two top fighters from a very deep division. Sterling has won five straight and more than deserves his chance at the belt. Some already have 'Funk Master' pegged as the best in the world at 135 pounds. -- Raimondi

9. Kamaru Usman (17-1)

2020 record: 1-0 (UD over Jorge Masvidal)

2020 ESPN MMA rank: 4

Next fight: Feb. 13 vs. Gilbert Burns (UFC 258)

2021 outlook: Being the first UFC champion to defend a belt in 2021 is what you call getting the year off to a good start. Usman will be taking on a former teammate, one whom he has been waiting a long time to face. He and Burns initially were slated to fight in July, and when that didn't happen they were paired again for December, which also fell through. The third booking is an opportunity for Usman to finally cross another 170-pound contender off his list, and the delay in making it happen allows the division to line up more challenges, should he succeed. -- Wagenheim

8. Conor McGregor (22-4)

2020 record: 1-0 (TKO1 over Donald Cerrone)

2020 ESPN MMA rank: 7

Next fight: Jan. 23 vs. Dustin Poirier (UFC 257)

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2021 outlook: The plan for McGregor going into 2020 was to fight at least three times, culminating with a second shot at the UFC lightweight title against Khabib Nurmagomedov. Then COVID-19 came into play, the idea for a 'season' fell apart and Nurmagomedov retired. McGregor even announced his own retirement in June out of frustration. The former UFC double champion will be back this month against old rival Dustin Poirier, and a win in that fight will almost surely earn McGregor a title opportunity. The potential is there for a massive year. -- Raimondi

7. Amanda Nunes (20-4)

2020 record: 1-0 (UD over Felicia Spencer)

2020 ESPN MMA rank: 8

Next fight: March 6 vs. Megan Anderson (UFC 259)

2021 outlook: The UFC's only remaining champ-champ had an eventful 2020. She fought only once, but she was plenty busy becoming a mom. Try to top that, 2021. Well, a successful featherweight title defense in two months would be a step in that direction. Then Nunes can switch her attention back to bantamweight, which by then might have produced a title challenger. If not, we'll start hearing pleas for a trilogy fight against flyweight champ Valentina Shevchenko. Where else is Nunes to go? -- Wagenheim

6. Valentina Shevchenko (20-3)

2020 record: 2-0 (TKO3 over Katlyn Chookagian; UD over Jennifer Maia)

2020 ESPN MMA rank: 5

Next fight: TBD

2021 outlook: More domination, most likely. Shevchenko has run roughshod over the women's flyweight division over the past two years. Her next likely challenger is powerhouse Jessica Andrade, the former UFC women's strawweight champion. That could be the toughest test to date for Shevchenko, but Shevchenko will likely still be a heavy favorite. Later in the year, there's a chance Shevchenko could be thrust into a superfight, either against the women's strawweight champion (currently Zhang Weili) or in a trilogy fight against women's bantamweight and featherweight champ Amanda Nunes. -- Raimondi

5. Zhang Weili (21-1)

2020 record: 1-0 (SD over Joanna Jedrzejczyk)

2020 ESPN MMA rank: 11

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Next fight: TBD

2021 outlook: She competed only once in 2020, way back in March, but it seems like we've seen Zhang way more than that because highlights of her brawl with Joanna Jedrzejczyk have been shown over and over, with good reason. It was the fight of the year for pretty much everyone who ranks those things. Next up might be another former champion, Rose Namajunas. That is the fight that makes sense, but the UFC has not yet booked it. Why the delay? It's not entirely clear. It would be a duel of high-level skills, and would get the UFC's most competitive women's division off to a good start to 2021. -- Wagenheim

4. Francis Ngannou (15-3)

2020 record: 1-0 (KO1 over Jairzinho Rozenstruik)

2020 ESPN MMA rank: 6

Next fight: TBD vs. Stipe Miocic

2021 outlook: Ngannou has been waiting three years for a second shot at the UFC heavyweight title. Miocic beat him at UFC 220 in January 2018, but Ngannou has made major improvements since then, while training at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas. It looks like Ngannou will finally get another crack at Miocic sometime in either the first or early second quarter of 2021. The toughest thing for Ngannou over the past two years is that he has decimated everyone in his path while going through long stretches of inactivity because very few fights make sense for him in a slow-moving heavyweight division. -- Raimondi

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3. Deiveson Figueiredo (20-1-1)

2020 record: 3-0-1 (TKO2 over Joseph Benavidez; TechSUB1 over Benavidez; SUB1 over Alex Perez, majority draw against Brandon Moreno)

2020 ESPN MMA rank: Unranked

Next fight: TBD

2021 outlook: For Figueiredo, 2020 is going to be a tough act to follow. He became champion during a year in which he was busy and dominant -- at least until his most recent outing. He quickly imposed his will in his first three fights of the year, including two against perennial 125-pound No. 2 Joseph Benavidez. Then came last month's flyweight title defense, in which he traded leather with Brandon Moreno for five thrilling rounds in a classic that was scored a draw. Now what? UFC president Dana White has guaranteed that Figueiredo-Moreno 2 is next. If Figueiredo remains champ after that one, he could reign for a while in what's becoming an increasingly interesting flyweight division. -- Wagenheim

2. Jon Jones (26-1)

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2020 record: 1-0 (UD over Dominick Reyes)

2020 ESPN MMA rank: 2

Next fight: TBD

2021 outlook: Jones has done almost everything there is to do in MMA. He was the longtime UFC light heavyweight champion, was never beaten for that belt and his lone career loss was a disqualification 12 years ago. His next frontier? The UFC heavyweight division. He vacated the light heavyweight belt last August and is primed to fight for the heavyweight strap next, likely against the Stipe Miocic vs. Francis Ngannou winner. Jones' goal is to leave absolutely no doubt he's the greatest of all time. -- Raimondi

1. Israel Adesanya (20-0)

2020 record: 2-0 (UD over Yoel Romero, TKO2 Paulo Costa)

2020 ESPN MMA rank: 3

Next fight: March 6 vs. Jan Blachowicz (UFC 259)

2021 outlook: If Adesanya becomes a champ-champ by adding the light heavyweight belt to his trophy case, as he is favored to do when he challenges Blachowicz, it will be an awesome accomplishment. He will have moved up from middleweight -- a jump of 20 pounds, which is huge. And who's doubting Adesanya? Nobody. His combination of poise and brutality in his knockout win over Costa elevated his stature in the sport -- and he came into the fight already a champion. This superfight against Blachowicz is sure to unleash some of the performance art that makes Adesanya must-see from walkout to finish. -- Wagenheim