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MANSFIELD – This past Saturday, June 10, Gladius Fights 43 showcased twenty-two fighters in Ithaca, New York. Featured were four amateur kickboxing fights, three professional kickboxing fights, and four amateur MMA fights.

Lukas Kelly of Contact Sports Club, Mansfield, faced off Skylar Rasmussen in the fight to become #1 contender for the 155-pound Gladius lightweight MMA Championship. Kelly finished the fight in the second round in 2 minutes, 4 seconds by submission with a rear naked choke.

Kelly said that his favorite part of the fight, “aside from winning,” was “dominating the grappling exchanges, knowing I could take him down at will, and once he was down there, I could just do literally anything I wanted to. I think I did really well, I think my striking looked rudimentary to say the least, but my grappling and Jiu- Jitsu is always going to be better than these guys’.”

Rasmussen provided a worthy example for rolling with the punches (literally!): “You go into these fights, you try to do your best, but sometimes things go out of your control and you can’t really do anything about it, it’s just the way it goes. I faced a good opponent, I went in there, I tried, and came up short and it happens.”

Kelly now has a win-loss record of 3-0, and he will fight for the 155-pound Gladius lightweight MMA champion title next on August 19. For tickets, go to Tickets | gladiusfighter.