Katie Verbryke Felix Joyner interview on her 90-pound loss

In the Katie Verbryke Felix Joyner interview for MILLIONS, Verbryke said she has lost 90 pounds since taking up jiu-jitsu, is preparing for a submission-only SCRAP Super Fights rematch and hopes to move into MMA. She also described how training became part of a broader change: she has been sober for two years and quit smoking three years ago.

How did Katie Verbryke lose 90 pounds after starting jiu-jitsu later in life?

Katie Verbryke said her 90-pound loss came through years of consistent work, not a sudden change in training. She began jiu-jitsu when she was badly out of shape and doubted she could do much physical activity. A friend invited her to try a class, and she became absorbed in it.

Starting with two classes a week

At first, two classes a week were exhausting. Verbryke said she had to resist an all-or-nothing approach: trying to train five days a week immediately would have been difficult to sustain. Her coaches stressed the value of showing up regularly, and she gradually learned what her body could handle.

She recalled weighing 300 pounds, being unable to do a body squat and struggling to walk up a flight of stairs. Jiu-jitsu gave her a form of exercise she enjoyed enough to keep doing. Looking back, she said she never expected to reach blue belt.

Sobriety and quitting smoking

The changes extended beyond the mat. Verbryke told Felix Joyner she has been sober for two years and quit smoking three years ago. She described the difference between her earlier life and her current training as something she would not have expected when she began.

What did Katie Verbryke say about weight-loss plateaus and consistency?

Katie Verbryke said consistency matters more than trying to overhaul every habit at once. After losing about 45 pounds, she reached a plateau and began working with Josh of Phenom Fitness alongside her jiu-jitsu coaches. She later started taking a low-dose peptide because she was struggling with further plateaus and cravings.

Getting past a 45-pound plateau

Verbryke said she has worked with Josh for a little over a year and credits him with helping her move past the point where her weight loss had stalled. She was candid that she had wanted to lose the weight without supplements but decided to use additional help.

Her advice to someone starting out is to find movement they enjoy rather than commit to a routine they dislike. She said she would not stick with walking on a treadmill, while jiu-jitsu held her interest. She also pointed to friends who enjoy CrossFit and HYROX, and mentioned Orangetheory Fitness and walking with a friend as other possibilities.

She urged people to begin slowly and find support if they need it. Protein, water and sleep matter, she said, but trying to solve every detail at once can feel overwhelming. The 90-pound loss, she emphasized, represents roughly three and a half years of work.

Verbryke closed her advice with the message she most wanted people to keep:

My message to everybody is just love yourself and take care of yourself

What did Katie Verbryke say about her SCRAP Super Fights rematch?

Katie Verbryke said her November 22 SCRAP Super Fights match is a submission-only rematch with a woman she beat in a June superfight. She expects a different challenge this time: Verbryke considers herself stronger in the gi, while she said her opponent is better without it.

A submission-only match with leg locks

Verbryke welcomed the submission-only format because it requires both athletes to pursue a finish rather than manage points. She said leg locks would be allowed, an opportunity she and her fellow blue belt do not normally have in competition. She identified spiking an opponent onto her head and twisting her spine as prohibited.

Her head coach is a Division I wrestler, and Verbryke said her academy has a strong no-gi game. She has been trying to embrace that training and improve the part of her grappling she sees as less developed.

The match also gave her a weight target. Verbryke said she needed to reach 205 pounds and had weighed 208 that morning. She credited Josh and the additional help she was using as she worked toward the target. She said tickets were available for people in South Carolina and that the event offered pay-per-view.

Why did Katie Verbryke enter the November 14 New Breed tournament?

Katie Verbryke entered the November 14 New Breed tournament in Columbia despite finding no opponents in her weight bracket. Friends who are much smaller wanted to enter an absolute bracket, giving her matches a week before her SCRAP Super Fights rematch. She believes any competition experience can help her manage the nerves she feels on the mat.

Preparing for faster opponents

Verbryke said size brings an advantage if she gets on top, but smaller opponents may be quicker and able to reach her back or catch an exposed arm. Entering the absolute bracket meant adjusting training she had been directing toward the rematch. She did not assume the size difference would make the tournament easy.

Competing through fear

Competition frightens her, Verbryke said. She described a strong adrenaline rush when she enters the venue and steps on the mat, followed by satisfaction that makes her want to return. A tournament the week before the superfight, even against a different type of opponent, could help her get some of those nerves out.

She encouraged people who are considering competition to try it despite the possibility of losing. In her view, getting submitted and learning from it are normal parts of jiu-jitsu, not reasons to stop showing up.

Does Katie Verbryke plan to move from jiu-jitsu into MMA?

Katie Verbryke said MMA is her eventual goal, but she plans to finish her current jiu-jitsu competitions and train more kickboxing before trying to make that transition. She has not said that an MMA bout is scheduled. For now, her blue belt and upcoming grappling matches show how far she has progressed.

Verbryke said she once thought even reaching blue belt was beyond her. When she began, she was out of shape and could not picture herself succeeding in combat sports. Continued training changed what she thought was possible, though she remains focused on the next steps rather than claiming she has already made the move to MMA.

She also described the mental adjustment competition requires. Away from the mat, Verbryke said she does not want to hurt people; during a match, she has to switch into a combative mindset. She called that shift empowering.

Which brands and gym did Katie Verbryke discuss with Felix Joyner?

Katie Verbryke said she has affiliate deals with Grapple Like a Girl, Grappler Die and Phenom BJJ, but is not sponsored. She also named TNT Martial Arts and Fitness in Columbia, South Carolina, as the gym where she trains jiu-jitsu, and spoke highly of fellow athlete Brandon Holmes.

Affiliate deals rather than sponsorship

Verbryke said Phenom BJJ sells jiu-jitsu gear and is connected to Phenom Fitness, where she works with Josh. She wanted affiliate relationships with all three brands she named and was pleased to secure them. Purchases through links on her Instagram account give her credit and provide buyers a discount.

She hopes to build a larger competitive profile, while treating sponsorship as a future possibility rather than a deal she already has. Her Instagram posts mix encouragement with humor, including reels made with people at her gym.

Training at TNT Martial Arts and Fitness

Before leaving, Verbryke made a point of naming TNT Martial Arts and Fitness. She singled out Brandon Holmes as an MMA fighter she looks up to there and expressed her belief that he could reach the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Who is Katie Verbryke?

Katie Verbryke is a masters Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu athlete who began training later in life. Her commitment to grappling and personal transformation have made her an example to others pursuing change through sport.