Local boxer, MMA fighter sharing passion for punching

Justin Verdin personifies tough.

As co-owner of Extreme Fitness and coach of Team Extreme, a mixed martial arts organization based in Houma, he trains area fighters to succeed in the boxing ring and caged octagon.

But he doesn’t just talk-the-talk. The 24-year-old Houma resident sports a 3-0 professional boxing record and is 1-0 as a professional mixed martial artist.

The Sports Net caught up with Verdin to exchange some “fighting words.”

Sports Net: Would you call mixed martial arts the toughest sport out there?

Justin Verdin: Yes.

SN: In what ways?

JV: It’s really brutal. You can throw elbows and knees to the face in different ways. You can snap off somebody’s arm if they don’t tap out on time. It’s a sport that we love to do and a sport people love to see.

When we do the sparring, that’s the toughest part. We go pretty hard. I’ve had black eyes (from sparring sessions) going into fights before.

SN: Talk about some of the injuries you’ve seen out there. I’m guessing you’ve encountered a ton of blood.

JV: I had one of my fighters get his jaw broken, even though he was winning the fight the whole time. We’ve also had a lot of nose bleeds and split lips. Some swollen faces. It all depends on the kind of fighter you are.

SN: So the sight of blood doesn’t make you queasy.

JV: No. If you’re a fighter, you like it. It’s just something that happens sometimes.

SN: Who are some of the best MMA fighters out there these days?

JV: (Quenton) “Rampage” Jackson is the best one they have right now.

SN: That’s a fighter that really had to earn respect.

JV: Yeah. He beat (former UFC heavyweight champion) Chuck Lidell. Lidell was the man, but Jackson beat him twice. I have to give him (Jackson) respect for doing that.

SN: Any up-and-comers on the local scene we might be seeing more of in the future?

JV: You’re probably going to see (140-pounder) Blake Verdin pretty soon. He has so many different styles. He can bring the kicking game to you, he has boxing skills and he can beat you with jujitsu and wrestling. He goes against 185-pounders and does great against them. He’s 3-0 and the guys he has fought have winning records.

SN: As co-owner of Extreme Fitness and coach of Team Extreme, are you doing what you want in life?

JV: Yes, this is exactly how I planned to live it. As a kid I always wanted to own a gym and, oh God, I just love it. I wouldn’t want to change anything more.

SN: What about your own personal career as a boxer?

JV: I actually thought I’d be a lot further in my career. I should be 10-0, not 3-0. But I’ve had a lot of stuff happen, like people backing out on me in the past, and I hurt my back in a car accident – that set me back for a whole year. I was actually going to fight that weekend before the wreck, but I ended up having to cancel it. I figure I’ve had about six to seven fights canceled already. That’s why I feel I should be 10-0 and a little better by now. That back problem slowed me down a little bit, but now I’m back.

SN: Have any future plans for Team Extreme?

JV: We’re going to try and improve. The last fight we had, I had all four guys win. I want to keep that going. And hopefully, I can get some guys on TV sooner or later.

Photo courtesy of choppapb.com. Justin Verdin is undefeated as both a professional boxer and mixed martial artist.