Michael 'Mayday' McDonald Begins Godly Mission; Tells Christians to 'Wake Up'
Michael "Mayday" McDonald, the 21-year-old undefeated bantamweight fighter who defeated 31-year-old WEC champion Miguel Torres in a first-round knockout during UFC 145 last month, recently took to his Tumblr account to speak about his mission to follow Jesus Christ.
"If anyone doesn't know… I've started the mission," McDonald wrote on his Tumblr account Friday. "In my job, i'm (sic) letting it be known that God is the reason for my happiness, my success, and everything else that could ever be a part of me."
McDonald, who currently has a 15-1 record, admitted that some were opposed to him being so vocal about his Christian values. After searching through forums on the Internet, the young mixed martial artist spoke about why people had issues with Christianity.
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"I was relieved when i finally got to some people being real about what they feel toward Christians… They started talking about hypocrisy… they started talking about how Christians will try to force feed religion on them down their throats," McDonald said. "(That) eventually (escalates) into 'Get away from me! You seriously just told me that I'm going to burn in Hell because i don't believe what you do? .. I hate Christians.'"
The Modesto, Calif., native said Christians should also take partial blame in the situation and change their approach when bringing Jesus to others.
"Well wake up Christians, because the world doesn't know God. They don't see Him as an individual. They see Him through YOU," McDonald wrote. "When we come out spittin out verses like daggers telling people how they need to change they will hate us and hate God."
McDonald also spoke about people's misconceptions about God.
"So many people seem to think that God is just a symbol of hope to the weak… they think God is a symbol which is publicized to do the right thing. They think that God is about changing your actions," he said. "… that isn't the Father that I fell in love with. My Father gave me the promise of security, love, peace, and joy… And once I told Him that I want Him to be my Father too… I could never shake him from that point on."
Despite people's misconceptions and disapproval about his faith, McDonald spoke about the promises of God.
"Jesus was the Son of God and was not exempt from pain and struggle and hardship and loss… But what my Father does for me… is He never gives me more than i can handle," McDonald wrote. "His promise is not to deliver me from pain, but His promise is even greater than that… He will give me the strength to carry on. I will never not be carried by the strong hand of a Universe making God and He will bring me through."
The second youngest fighter in the UFC, McDonald has been a professional mixed martial artist competitor since 2007. He has had nine wins by KO and four by submission.
McDonald says in his UFC profile that he doesn't have any heroes or "anyone on Earth" that he wants to be exactly like. But he adds, "Above all I strive to be like Jesus Christ. That's what it means to be a Christian. To be Christ-like. I have always admired people of great faith, which is what I lacked in my childhood, and am finally learning to have."
