McMahon, 49, announced the news—and signed his contract—during Friday night’s Titan FC 64 event that he will compete in his first mixed martial arts bout against 23-fight veteran Justin Thornton at Fighting Force 4.
The event will take place Nov. 21 in the Dominican Republic, and the heavyweight bout between McMahon and Thornton will serve as the headliner. Fighting Force 4 will stream on UFC Fight Pass.
Having worked in the sport as a promoter and manager for over a decade, McMahon wanted to have a better understanding of why fighters step in to the cage or ring to compete.
“Why does the old man want to get his ass whooped and get after it? For 12 years, I’ve been asking these fighters to go in and fight so I can make money and my partner can make money,” McMahon said in the cage prior to the Titan FC 64 main event.
“It feels a big inauthentic and disingenuous to not have done this. All these feelings, all these emotions, hard work, pain and suffering, I’m gonna go through it. I’ve been going through it quietly behind the scenes.”
In addition to being an integral part of Titan FC behind the scenes, McMahon was a United States Marine and currently serves on the board of directors for AHERO—a non-profit that connects military veterans through outdoor activities as a means to recover from their physical wounds and psychological trauma to reintegrate with American life.
To help bring attention to the topics of Veteran Suicide Awareness and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, McMahon aims to use this fight to raise funds for the non-profit to use towards its mission.
“I want to raise awareness about PTSD and veteran suicide,” McMahon explained. “I’m gonna donate my entire fight purse, my sponsorship money. I have a goal to raise $50,000 and donate it to [AHERO].”
Thornton (6-17) has competed professionally since 2008 in multiple weight classes. The 37-year-old has appeared in regional promotions such as Island Fights and has faced current UFC heavyweights Walt Harris and Chase Sherman.
McMahon had a message for his opponent at the end of his announcement.
“Do not f*ckin underestimate me,” McMahon stated. “I’m an old man, but you better be training your ass off.
“You better be ready to go to war. If you underestimate me, you’re gonna get your ass whipped by an old man.”
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