So busted.
Martial arts teacher charged with illegal fighting
By SARAH PROHASKA
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
PORT ST. LUCIE — A nationally renowned mixed martial arts fighter, who made a name for himself while competing in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, was arrested on a felony charge Tuesday after investigators said he organized “illegal cage fighting” matches in St. Lucie West that drew more than 150 spectators, some from out of town.
Din Thomas, 31, of Port St. Lucie allegedly violated a Florida statute that governs “prohibited competitions” - a third-degree felony that carries a possible maximum punishment of five years in prison. Police said he organized and promoted an unsanctioned and unlicensed match out of a warehouse at 494 N.W. Lake Whitney Place, near Pea**** Boulevard, in St. Lucie West on Oct. 19.
Spectators paid $10 to watch the event that included several fights with multiple amateur competitors, whose estimated ages ranged from their 20s to their 40s, officials said.
Sgt. Frank Sabol said police were tipped off to the event while he was conducting an off-duty detail and a citizen asked about it.
“I was approached by a citizen, and he asked, ‘What are the police doing about the fight club out in St. Lucie West?’'” Sabol said.
Investigators found out the time and place of the event, and four officers showed up to watch, according to a police report. They saw a large number of cars in the parking lot of the warehouse that also doubled as a gymnastics facility. About 150 were cheering and sitting on makeshift stands and chairs facing the fenced octagonal cage where two men were fighting, the report states.
Thomas, who teaches mixed-martial arts and ultimate fighting at a facility on South U.S. 1 near Port St. Lucie Boulevard, told an officer he put the event together as a way for his students to gain experience fighting in front of crowds.
Mixed martial arts is “an intense and evolving combat sport in which competitors use interdisciplinary forms of fighting that include jiu-jitsu, judo, karate, boxing, kickboxing, wrestling and others to their strategic and tactical advantage in a supervised match,” according to the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s Web site.
Thomas, who graduated from Port St. Lucie High in 1994, became known while competing in the Ultimate Fighting Championship with its televised matches. In September, he competed in a match live on Spike TV.
Thomas was released from the St. Lucie County Jail on Tuesday after posting $10,000 bond. He could not be reached for comment at either his home or gym.
Thomas told the officer “they were only sparring like they do in class except in front of a crowd,” according to the report.
Officials, however, say this was a planned event, which Thomas promoted and was not sanctioned by a state-approved board.
“Without a doubt this was for entertainment,” Sgt. Paul Grohowski said. “It’s an intense sport, they use kicks, punches, chokes. We witnessed one gentleman get knocked unconscious.”
Thomas reportedly told an officer that no hired medical staff was at the event, but all fighters signed a waiver.
The statute says “no match involving amateurs which utilizes, but is not necessarily limited to, strikes or blows to the head may be held in this state unless it is sanctioned and supervised by an amateur sanctioning organization.”
Anyone promoting or sponsoring a prohibited match could be charged with a felony, and those who participate could be charged with a misdemeanor, the law says. It also says “no amateur mixed martial arts match may be held in this state.”
“If there’s evidence that a promoter knew about a fight and promoted it as such, it needs to be a licensed fight,” said Sam Farkas, a spokesman with the state Department of Business and Professional Regulation. “Clearly, this was planned. He knew about it and he promoted it as such.”
Making sure the event is licensed, he said, ensures that the proper referees, doctors and promoters participate. While he did not know exactly how many times someone in the state has been prosecuted under this statute, Farkas said, “It’s not very frequent.”
