Legend has it that ancient gladiators fought in cages to win the favor of the gods, who blessed victorious warriors with immortality and unlimited refills of ambrosia. Ride a wave of adrenaline to Olympian heights with today’s Groupon: for $30, you get two general-admission tickets to The Rock MMA & Fitness Center’s "Rock at the Dock 3" on May 14 in Mooresville (a $60 value).

Three championship fights at Queen’s Landing on Lake Norman will quench fans’ thirst for excitement with a karate cocktail of jiu-jitsu, kickboxing, and submission fighting designed to showcase the martial talents of the sport’s top warriors. Sponsored by The Rock MMA & Fitness Center, this year’s well-rounded bill will include both men’s and women’s title fights to ensure equal-opportunity beat-downs. Live music and entertainment will keep the lakeside air energized between rounds, with a bikini contest during intermission to determine which stunning model will grace the brochures and billboards for the next Rock at the Dock event.

Those seeking the excitement of the Thunderdome with minimal emphasis on the thunder can find shelter under the sprawling tent that covers both cage and audience. Doors open at 6 p.m., and the first fight kicks into gear at 7 p.m. With general-admission ticketing and a no assigned-seating policy, fight-goers should arrive early or risk impersonating their favorite cage-locked combatants in an anarchical skirmish for seats.