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One of our area’s most well-known boxers is getting ready for his last fight.
Dulac native and veteran professional fighter “Smiling” Martin Verdin will headline Nov. 15’s Fall Brawl – a professional boxing card set for the Evergreen Cajun Center in Houma.
The fight will be the 42nd and final time Verdin, 38, steps foot in a boxing ring for competitive action – the end of a prestigious career filled with 20 wins and bouts in six states throughout the country.
Verdin said it’s hard to accept the prospect of stepping away for good, but that Father Time is telling him it’s the right thing to do.
He added that he wants his final fight to be memorable to fans – he has every intention to end his career with a bang.
“I’ve been doing this a long time, and now it’s time for me to take the knowledge and talent that I’ve been blessed with and share it with others,” Verdin said. “But I want this last fight to be special. I don’t know too much about my opponent, but I know he’s in big trouble – that much I do know. I know that I’m going to be ready and that I’m coming to fight him and beat him. I want to go out with a bang. I want to get a knockout win. I am training for a knockout and that’s what my goal is for this fight.”
LOVE FOR FIGHTING STARTED YOUNG
Verdin was bit with the fighting bug really early in his life.
He said that growing up, he was always a nice and loving child, but that an affinity always existed in his heart for the art of fighting – the strategy involved and all the elements that went into combat.
“I lived by a bar room growing up and you know how that is – we’d naturally see a lot of fights,” Verdin said. “I don’t know what it is – the whole thing just always sort of got me excited. I was a good kid. I didn’t get into many fights in school or anything. It’s just something about it that always excited me.”
As Verdin grew older, he decided to use martial arts to feed that fire. He earned a red belt in hapkido, while also playing other sports like football and soccer growing up.
But his priorities shifted when he took a trip to visit family in Grand Bois. It was then that he became introduced to boxing through his cousin, who later became his coach.
“I didn’t even know that they did boxing out there, but I went and checked them out and it wasn’t long before I was in the ring,” Verdin said. “I got there, spent some time in the gym and I noticed that there were younger guys hitting the bag harder than what I did – kids were hitting harder than me. At that point, I just decided, ‘Man, I need to learn this.’
“I was around 19 when I first started doing this, and it’s like anything else – I just fell in love with it.”
Verdin started in the amateur ranks, fighting 19 times on that circuit to get a little seasoning and experience within the sport.
“I lost more than I won,” he said with a laugh. “The beginning was hard for me because I had started at a late age. A lot of these guys I fought just knew so much more than me.”
After fighting for free in the amateurs, Verdin got to enjoy a little bit of cash for his efforts, fighting in 70-plus Tough Man bouts over the next several months.
Verdin said he won his share of those bouts, often competing three or four times in a day.
That experience paved the way for March 14, 2002 to be possible – his professional boxing debut.
“My goal was to always fight as a pro – I wanted just one pro fight,” Verdin said. “You always need to have goals in life. If you don’t make a goal, you won’t go anywhere. For me, my goal was to get one pro fight.”
A STORIED CAREER IN ITS TWIGHLIGHT
Verdin wanted at least one pro fight.
Turns out, he’ll retire with 42 boxing bouts and three MMA fights, as well.
Verdin’s professional boxing career started with a thud. He was knocked out in the first round against Chance Leggett in New Orleans’ Municipal Auditorium. From there, Verdin got in a groove, winning five-straight bouts to set his career into motion.
From that point, Verdin established himself as one of the most versatile and entertaining fighters in Louisiana, routinely fighting in several different weight divisions, while still giving fans crowd-pleasing bouts.
Known around boxing circles as “Smiling” Martin Verdin, the nickname comes from the big, ear-to-ear grin Verdin often has during his bouts. Whether ahead or behind, it is of little significance, Verdin said he truly enjoys being a competitor in the ring.
“I love what I do. This isn’t my job. This is my playground. I’m in that ring and it’s an outlet for me – I’m having a blast,” Verdin said. “I love fighting. I’m smiling because I’m having fun.”
Arguably the biggest win of Verdin’s career came on May 27, 2004 when he topped Rich Clementi in Westwego – a fighter who turned around and become a well-known and wildly popular figure in the UFC.
Verdin’s biggest rivalry in the sport came via a multi-fight series with Houston native James Johnson. From 2005-2009, the competitors fought three times with Verdin scoring victory in two of the three bouts – all fought in the Cut Off Youth Center.
Verdin topped Johnson via a hard-fought six-round split decision on 2005 to start the rivalry. Johnson fought back and won the second battle in 2007, topping Verdin via another split decision – a 10-round affair. In 2009, Verdin closed the three-fight triology with a unanimous decision victory over his foe.
“Those fights were fun,” he said. “I remember those well.”
In recent years, Verdin has taken fights against touted prospects to try and serve as a spoiler to the prospects’ plans.
Verdin enters his next fight with three-straight losses, including a third-round knockout against former championship contender Jeff Lacy in Nov. 2013.
He followed that up with losses to Justin Thomas and Trevor McCumby – prospects with combined 24-0 records.
At the show on Nov. 15, Verdin’s opponent is expected to be a journeyman competitor from Atlanta – he didn’t have his name to provide at press-time.
He said he’s been training hard and is more than ready to walk away with a knockout win.
“My body can’t do the same things that it used to – I don’t heal as fast. I’m not quite as athletic,” Verdin said. “But I’m working hard and I’m going to be ready for this one. He’s going to have a long night coming his way – or a short night, if you understand me.”
FINAL CARD MARKS TORCH BEING PASSED
Verdin’s fight will close the show – a fitting send-off to his long, storied career.
But all of the fights leading up to Verdin’s will be really good, too.
Most will feature competitors within the “next generation” of local boxers that Verdin wants to help upon his in-ring retirement.
Martin Verdin’s cousin and fight promoter Justin Verdin (10-3, 7 KOs) will compete in the night’s co-main event against an opponent yet to be determined – a light heavyweight bout.
Also scheduled to appear are Martin Verdin’s two younger brothers, Calvin and Jonathon Guidry – a pair of heavyweights that big brother thinks have a promising future.
Jonathan Guidry is 1-0 with the victory coming via a first-round knockout. For Calvin Guidry, this will be his professional boxing debut.
Also expected to compete are Ricky Folse (3-3, 2 KOs) and Antonio Mignella (3-1, 3 KOs).
General admission tickets for the fight are $30 at the door and $25 in advance.
Table packages are also available. Tickets can be purchased by calling Extrema MMA & Fitness in Houma at (985) 873-5722.
Martin Verdin said fans don’t want to miss the chance to see him compete for the last time – the night he passes the torch to the younger folks who will now lead local boxing into the future.
“It’s going to be a great night,” he said. “I told Justin I wanted the last card I’m on to be an awesome one. This is that. It’s going to be a great night of fights.”
