About Tommy
Tommy “Wild Card” Hayden is an American southpaw with an elite wrestling base who came up at Team Jorge Gurgel and fought twice in the UFC in 2012. Then he did something few UFC fighters do: he moved to Bangkok and spent the next decade building Thailand's MMA scene from the inside.
He headlined Full Metal Dojo and took its lightweight title, refereed everything from Fight Circus to World Boxing Federation cards, and coached the next wave of fighters. Today he runs Combat Matrix, his platform that connects gyms, coaches, fighters and fans across continents, teaches wrestling and MMA at Combat Studios in Bangkok, and still steps in for fun: on 17 October 2026 he faces Jonny Tello at Fight Circus.
Writing the rules that let rival arts share one ring
Fighter, champion, referee, coach and commentator: he has seen the sport from every side of the cage.
By the numbers
- 2
- UFC fights, both in 2012
- FMD
- Full Metal Dojo lightweight champion
- 10+
- years building Thailand's MMA scene
- 8-Limbs
- author of the Showcase's neutral ruleset
Train with Tommy
- Wrestling and MMA classes at Combat Studios, Bangkok, Tuesdays and Thursdays
- Private one-on-one wrestling lessons
- Technique tutorials on combatmatrix.com
In the moment
Career highlights
- RootsCame up at Team Jorge Gurgel in the United States; a southpaw built on wrestling
- 2012Fought at UFC on FX 1 in January and UFC 150 in Denver in August
- FMD 10Headlined Full Metal Dojo's “To Live and Die in Bangkok” and won in dominant fashion
- FMD 13Won the Full Metal Dojo lightweight title by unanimous decision over Will Chope
- RefereeFight Circus 6 in Bangkok, with Bob Sapp in the ring, and World Boxing Federation cards
- CoachFight camps at Combat Studios for athletes heading to GMA in Vietnam and ONE at Lumpinee
- FounderCombat Matrix: gyms, coaches, fighters and fans on one platform, in English and Thai
- 17 Oct 2026Back in action against Jonny Tello at Fight Circus × Full Metal Dojo, Bangkok
Connect with Tommy about
Thai MMA, wrestling and MMA coaching, fight camps in Bangkok, rulesets and officiating, and partnerships with Combat Matrix
Reach Tommy
Message Tommy directly on the profiles above, or ask the ambassador network for an introduction.
Affiliations and records
Watch
Why the future of MMA is being written in Asia, with host Zac Crush · YouTube
The Showcase
Muay Thai × Kun Khmer International Showcase
In 2026 Vietnam finished first overall at both the World Kun Khmer Championships in Cambodia and the IFMA World Muay Thai Championships. Home to world champions in both arts, Vietnam is the natural neutral ground to bring them together: two great traditions on one card, each under its own name, under one neutral ruleset. Three nations. One ring.
Visit the Showcase →The people making it happen
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