Armored Combat Hits New Jersey for the 1st Time
I love sharing things that are new to me. I had never heard of armored combat competition until recently. It looks pretty cool, especially if you’re someone who enjoys events…
The entrance to American Dream in East Rutherford, NJ
(Photo by Kena Betancur/Getty Images)I love sharing things that are new to me. I had never heard of armored combat competition until recently. It looks pretty cool, especially if you’re someone who enjoys events like the Renaissance Faire.
Maybe you’ve heard of this, but if you’re not familiar with armored combat, it’s a form of martial arts competition. It’s a sport where athletes wear metal armor, fight, and compete using medieval-style weapons. These competitions haven’t happened in New Jersey before, until now.
Armored Combat in New Jersey
It’s another first for the Garden State. New Jersey will host its first-ever Armored Combat Tournament at American Dream in East Rutherford, NJ, at their 2,000-seat arena.
The GladiatorZ 3 event takes place on Friday, May 23rd, with future events at American Dream including
It’s a Titan-weight showdown and claims to feature some of the most elite fighters from all over the world.
The competitors wear over 70 pounds of medieval steel armor with “blunted steel historical weapons.” They beat on each other using their strength and strategy.
Armored Combat is also known as Buhurt, and is a real combat sport that combines different elements of mixed martial arts while using medieval weapons and armor.
Fighters compete using different weapons, including swords, shields, and axes. It’s actually safer than football or bullfighting, but it looks like it’s more dangerous.
Damion Digrazzia founded Gladiators NYC and is the CEO. He’s a disabled U.S. Air Force veteran, a Harvard University and Columbia University graduate. They’re a nonprofit that’s based in Manhattan. They host events monthly in Central Park. Armored Combat is a fast-growing movement that Damion is hoping will gain popularity and move into the mainstream.
Get more information about The Armored League here, and ticket information here.
According to The Armored League website, upcoming 2025 events include:
MAY 23RD - GLADIATORZ 3
JUNE 28TH - GLADIATOR FIGHT CLUB 3
JULY 26TH - IDEAL GLASS PRESENTS: CLUB MEDIEVAL
AUGUST 30TH - GLADIATOR FIGHT CLUB 4
SEPT 5TH - ARMORED LEAGUE SHOWCASE
