Simoneaux to make amateur debut, Mahfouz going pro

Two local mixed martial arts fighters, Jesse Simoneaux and Sean Mahfouz, will face career firsts, not to mention opponents trying to knock their heads off in the Caged Warrior Championships 15 Friday at the Morgan City Municipal Auditorium.
“We have been bringing MMA events to this area since 2002,” Louisiana Black Belt Academy owner Steve Miller said. “We started at the Amelia Civic Center then we moved on to the Patterson Civic Center for the last four or five events and now we are back at the Morgan City Auditorium. Last time in Patterson we sold out 20 minutes before the show started with a line outside so we need a bigger place.”
The local area, like the rest of the country, has seen martial arts explode with the popularity of the Ultimate Fighting Championship and the Ultimate Fighter (television show).
“When I first opened here in 1997, we were teaching karate and kick-boxing classes but thanks to the UFC we now teach karate, kick boxing, boxing and jujitsu classes with kid’s classes in each area as well,” Miller said. “It’s so much bigger than it used to be and most of my students train in more than one thing. We have families that train here, it’s a lifestyle. “
Friday’s card features amateur and pro bouts with doors opening at 6 p.m. and fights starting at 7:30 p.m. There’s a 12-fight card which is subject to change and tickets will be available all day at the auditorium.
Simoneaux of Morgan City will open the card in his first amateur bout. Amateur fighters fight with slightly bigger gloves and rounds are three minutes while the pros fight five minutes rounds. Amateurs are also unpaid and have a few other fighting restrictions.
He has been training since 2009 along with two of his kids.
“I signed my son up first and then I decided to join a few months later,” Simoneaux said. “It has been fun traveling around with my son to competitions and stuff and I see what it (martial arts) has done for him outside the gym with his personality and his confidence. That changed what I thought about martial arts, I came in thinking it was about learning to fight and it’s much more than that.”
Simoneaux will fight in 125-pound class after cutting his weight from about 137 pounds.
“It’s not a big weight cut for me but anytime you are not eating and drinking like you usually do, you tend to be a little angry and that gets me ready fight,” he said. “I know it’s an amateur fight and all, but it’s a fight so we will compete to the best of our abilities and at the end we will hug, but before then it’s all business.”
Mahfouz will compete in his first pro bout on Friday after fighting for years in the amateur ranks.
“I started in 2007-08 right after I finished playing high school football and I was looking for something competitive to do,” he said. “I had my first amateur fight three months after I started training and it was off to the races after that.”
Mahfouz will fight in the main event Friday against Rocky Landry. The muscular and tattooed Landry has some of Mahfouz’s friend and co-workers concerned but he could care less.
“I’m a little unassuming guy (5 feet 5 inches tall, 160 pounds), but I’ve never had a problem taking care of myself,” Mahfouz said. “If anything my lack of size motivates me to fight. It started with former Morgan City Coach Mark Millett who had me playing linebacker at my size in high school and that filled me with that aggressive mindset and toughness.
“But it’s all about mental toughness in martial arts. The last guy I fought had a Mohawk and tatts and I knocked him out in 30 seconds in a boxing match so looks and fake personas can’t fight for you.”
Mahfouz and Landry will fight at 155 pounds while Houma’s Macy Breaux will fight in the co-main event against Kayla Hracho.
“Macy is the best, I think her next fight could be in the UFC,” Miller said. “I can’t wait for the local fans to see her fight.”