Ricardo Mayorga

Biography

Ricardo Antonio Mayorga Perez (born October 3, 1973) is a former professional boxer and mixed martial artist in Nicaragua. He is a former two-weight world champion in boxing, having held the unified WBA (Unified), WBC, Ring magazine, and lineal welterweight titles in 2003 and the WBC super welterweight title from 2005 to 2006.

Mayorga's unique personality traits, including his trash-talk, smoking, and drinking outside the ring, set him apart from other fighters. He first gained prominence by defeating the undefeated Vernon Forrest twice in 2003, winning the welterweight titles in their first encounter by TKO in the third round.

In December 2003, Mayorga lost his welterweight title to Cory Spinks by a majority decision. He then moved to super welterweight and defeated Michele Piccirillo for the vacant WBC title in 2005.

Mayorga's notable fights include:

• A TKO loss to Félix Trinidad in 2004.
• A sixth-round TKO loss to Oscar De La Hoya in 2006.
• A majority decision win over Fernando Vargas in 2007.
• TKO losses to Shane Mosley in 2008 and 2015.

In his last major fight, Mayorga challenged Miguel Cotto for the WBA light middleweight title in 2011, but he lost by TKO in the 12th round.

After retiring from boxing, Mayorga briefly competed in MMA. He faced Din Thomas in 2010 before the fight was cancelled due to a contract dispute with his boxing promoter, Don King. In 2013, he defeated Wesley Tiffer by TKO in an MMA bout, but the result was later changed to a no-contest due to an illegal knee strike.

Mayorga's professional boxing record stands at 32 wins (26 by knockout), 12 losses, and 1 draw. What makes his record truly remarkable is his ability to pull off upsets against favoured opponents. Despite his controversial behaviour outside the ring, he is remembered for his aggressive fighting style and his knack for surprising his opponents.