PERMITS
March 9, 2016
Anterina Guidry
March 9, 2016
A Larose native is attempting to be the next big thing in mixed martial arts.
OK, that’s not a big surprise. The Houma-Thibodaux area has a large community of fighters spread among multiple gyms in the community.
But what’s different about this one is the gender.
She’s a woman. And in the early stages of her career, she’s not backing down from anyone that steps in the cage opposite her.
Macy Breaux is off to a fast start in her young career, overcoming the stereotype that MMA fighting is a man’s gig with her own array of lefts and rights.
This past weekend, Breaux competed against Christie Stricker at Caged Warrior Championship 9 in Houma. Breaux battled for three rounds, but dropped a tough decision.
Breaux said the loss won’t deter her, because she’s determined to be the best fighter that she can be both now and in the future.
She said that she’s “hooked” on the sport, and can’t wait to see where her career goes in the future.
“Every day, I aim to be better than I was the day before,” Breaux said. “My biggest goal is to improve and to be the best that I can be.”
Breaux said she’s secretly aspired to be a fighter her whole life.
The Larose native and South Lafourche High School graduate said she lived next to a boxing gym as a kid, and used to admire the hard work that the aspiring fighters would put in in preparation for their fights.
She said that she used to watch them work and admire the progresses that they made leading up to fight time.
“As a kid, I always wanted to be a boxer – I didn’t know about MMA until after,” Breaux said. “I would watch the boxers run past my house, and I always saw how hard they work and all the time that they put in. I always knew I wanted to be a part of that someday.”
Breaux’s early fighting roots actually came in boxing, and she has one organized fight – a victory.
But Breaux said she wanted another challenge, so she picked up MMA this past fall, opting to train with Justin Verdin at Extreme MMA in Houma.
Breaux said that the partnership with Verdin has been great, calling the well-known local fighting figure a “blessing” to her career.
She said that as soon as she got involved with the sport, she knew that she was exactly where she wanted to be.
When not in the gym, Breaux is a self-described workout nerd, who is a personal trainer. One way or another, she said she’s always doing something to find a way to make herself a better fighter who is as physically fit as possible.
“In these last three months, I have come so far,” Breaux said. “There is only room for continued improvement. I am willing to put in the work and the time. I aim to start small, and just keep getting gradual gains in what I’m trying to do.”
Breaux said she’s a student of the sport, and her goal is to learn as many disciplines of MMA as possible. Right now, she said she’s not limiting herself to any one aspect of the sport.
“I train boxing, MMA, jiu-jitsu and kickboxing,” Breaux said. “I am well-rounded. That’s by design. That’s what I want to be.”
She’s mean in that cage, too.
Breaux fought an exhibition bout in December as a way of getting her feet wet in the sport. She won easily via tapout.
This past weekend was her first official bout, and the result was tougher. She competed hard throughout the fight, but just couldn’t generate enough offense to sway the judges.
Breaux said she doesn’t know how far the sport is going to take her, but she can’t wait to see what the journey has in store for her.
Verdin thinks the fighter can do anything she sets her mind to – especially if she continues to work hard and stay positive.
MMA might be a man’s sport, yes. But Breaux isn’t afraid to throw punches with anyone.
“She’s fun to work with, because she is committed,” Verdin said. “I think Macy is someone that local fans should support. When she fights, it’s always a good, action-friendly fight.
“The last fight was a lesson learned, but she’ll get better and bounce back.” •
