Marshalltown fighting enthusiasts have a chance to go to a mixed martial arts (MMA) bout on April 13.

Ignite Fights will present Iowa Fight Series II at the Impala Ballroom. The fighting styles of wrestling, jiu jitsu and kickboxing will be displayed. The event will bring 18 fighters including Anteze Howard, Andres Lugo, Arturo Garcia, Oscar Meraz, Pedro Gomez and Gatdoar Keuth.

The main event will pit Mariusz Ksiazkiewicz of Canada against Brazilian former world champion Rafael Carvalho.

Ignite Fights owner Shaun White said it will be a good fight as Carvalho is a legend in Brazil and the Canadian fighter is an up and coming fighter in the UFC.

“I think this is a good matchup for the light heavyweight title,” he said.

Marshalltown fighters Triston Scarborough and Pedro Gomez will compete, along with Tama fighter Andres Lugo.

“We have fighters from Des Moines, Waterloo, Cedar Rapids, all over Iowa,” White said.

Fighters from states such as Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Tennessee and Wisconsin will also get in the cage.

White has something special planned for the 12 amateur fighters. At the end of the night, a winner will be chosen and awarded a four-week, all-inclusive trip to Thailand.

“It will help the amateur grow in the sport by learning from the best,” he said. “Muay Thai is huge in Thailand.”

This is the second MMA event White has brought to Marshalltown, and it took him three months to arrange it.

“I did one in October and it went well,” he said.

Putting on a good show for Marshalltown residents is important to White. Securing the Impala Ballroom was an important piece of the puzzle as it provides the “perfect” set for the PayPerView show. There will be a large digital screen spanning the length of the stage, and two projection screens to the sides. That way, the audience will not miss anything. Plus, there will be lights, smoke machines and lasers – more pieces of a good show.

“Marshalltown loves coming out, supporting and watching the fights,” he said.

While some people might view MMA as barbaric, White said it is important to remember the fighters are trained to get in the cage.

“This is what they want to do,” he said. “MMA is the biggest growing sport today. It is not like it used to be when it first started. I have total respect for the fighters. For the younger fighters, it gives them something to do and strive for. The coaches they work with have this down to a science.”

He added Marshalltown has really embraced combat sports, producing UFC fighter and 2014 World Series of Fighting Featherweight Champion Rick “The Gladiator” Glenn.

“A lot of people in Marshalltown followed him,” he said. “That is how the MMA grew in Marshalltown — from him.”

In addition to the Impala, White secured local sponsors Rock Island Suites, which provided free hotel rooms; Minuteman Printing, which produced all of the posters, flyers and programs; and second-time sponsor UAW 893, which is raffling off tickets to Marshalltown union members.

EVENT INFORMATION:

Location: Impala Ballroom, 1005 W. Lincoln Way

Date: Saturday, April 13

Time: Doors open at 1 p.m., fights begin at 2 p.m.

Tickets: $40 for advance general admission and $45 at the door; $90 for cageside; $500 for a gold table, $640 for a platinum table.

——

Contact Lana Bradstream

at 641-753-6611 ext. 210 or

lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.