At 36, Jeff Soucie has finally found his niche.
That is Jeff Soucie, the carpenter.
Jeff Soucie, the heating and air conditioning man.
Jeff Soucie, the lead singer for the alternative metal band "Bone-shovel."
And Jeff Soucie, the karate instructor.
"All my friends have been so quick to point it out. They all remember me from back in the day as a fighter. Mixed martial arts is just the perfect sport for me," said Soucie, of Methuen. "I've always been a fighter. Now, it's not about me being a jerk. It's a sport."
Jeff Soucie, the ultimate fighter.
It has a pretty sweet ring to it, with results to match. So far, Soucie is 3-0 as a pro, with a trio of first-round knockouts via the "guillotine choke."
Soucie headlines Combate Zone MMA's CZ 28 card tomorrow night at Rockingham Park. The striker/submission specialist will tangle with 23-year-old Dennis Olsen (6-2) of Amherst, N.H., in a 170-pound contest.
"To be honest, it's going great, and it's something I didn't really expect," said Soucie, a father of four. "If I can win this fight, the next one could be for some kind of title belt."
Soucie had few goals as he first stepped into the octagon after a distinguished competitive career both in points karate and blade-fighting competitions.
A part-owner of the Kempo Karate Academy in Methuen, he organized "Team Fury," and instructs a group of about 10 aspiring MMA fighters.
"I only took that first fight to show the younger guys that they could do it," said Soucie, who is trained by Jim Marino. "But I'm feisty as heck. For now, I've been able to keep up with the 20-year-olds, and hopefully I can keep this going until the younger guys are ready. Let me tell you, I've got some studs coming."
For now, though, Soucie is focused on his fight career, while his brother, James handles the gym. It's a formula that has work perfectly to date.
Since he was young, Soucie found himself attracted to the martial arts.
"As a kid, I was always the ninja," he joked.
But instead of training, he fought.
"I had a pretty tough upbringing in Lawrence and bounced around to four different high schools," he said.
It was only after his time with the band, about eight years ago, that he tried kempo karate, a discipline in which he now owns a black belt.
"I needed an outlet when I left the band," said Soucie. "I love the gym and I'm passionate about it."
As MMA grew, so did Soucie's desire to compete in a full-contact forum.
"This is as full-contact as it gets," said Soucie. "I've never been afraid of the training, never been afraid of the pain. I have some great guys to train with, and they all take beatings from me.\
"Is it worth the money? I don't know. My last fight I made $600 for. It lasted 28 seconds. I think the money is pretty good."
Tomorrow night at the Rock, Soucie grabs the spotlight in his first career main event. If this is like any of the previous CZMMA cards there, the place should be rocking.
"I'm there to win and win with aggression," said Soucie. "I'm a fairly popular guy around here. I've got friends crawling out of the woodwork, just to see this fight. Guys I haven't talked to in years are coming to see it. It should be a great night."
Full-contact Friday night
What: Combat Zone Mixed Martial Arts presents CZ 28, a night of 12 scheduled full-contact bouts.
When/Where: Tomorrow, 8 p.m., at Rockingham Park, Salem, N.H.
The Main Event: Methuen's Jeff Soucie (3-0) vs. Dennis Olsen (6-2) of Amherst, N.H.
Tickets: Prices range from $40-$120. Available through the Web site, www.czmma.com or at the door, beginning at 6:30 p.m.
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