Thornton merges brains, brawn for first MMA fight Saturday

All the long hours, hard work and goals he set for himself are paying off for Carson Thornton. With graduation from Demopolis High School as its 2022 salutatorian, Carson now has his eyes set on Saturday, June 4, when he will compete in a Martial Arts fight in Mobile.

He discovered playing football “wasn’t really my thing” and started looking for something “to keep in shape and also to toughen up.” Eyeing a field in criminology, with the goal of becoming a detective, Carson felt he needed some physical training before he entered that field.

In July 2019 when Carson tried a class at Ross Marshall Arts, “I loved it,” and he found he was good at it. Ever since he has worked under Ronda and Jay Russell five days a week for two hours or more, frequently sparring with their son Brett.

That schedule is in addition to his part-time job and keeping up his grades.

“I have long days,” he admitted. “I’m very good at cramming.”

Carson has focused on jiu jitsu, kickboxing and tae kwon do. Other martial arts can be added when competing in MMA bouts.

The biggest challenge he found in MMA is the physical aspect. “I use brain more than brawn,” he explained, and has “to adapt to use my physical side as much as my mental side.”

The fight in Mobile is his first since he began looking for one in February. The timing or scheduling wasn’t right until now, and it is his last chance to compete before his family leaves for an eight-day trip to Greece and Italy.

 With his credits from dual enrollment and the six AP courses he took, Carson will have a leg up on his course load when he enters LSU in the fall to major in sociology with a concentration in criminology.

Law enforcement has “always been a passion of mine” since he was a young boy, he said. “I’ve always had that natural need to protect people.”

Carson treasures the bond he’s built with his trainers and fellow martial arts students. “I can honestly say they’re like family now.” He hopes to find a new home with a gym in Baton Rouge where he can continue training.