GLORY 68 Preliminary Card Recap: Chasteen and Levine emerge victorious

On Saturday, Sept. 28, GLORY Kickboxing returned to Florida, hosting its 68th event from the James L. Knight Center in Miami. The action kicked off with a pair of preliminary card bouts that streamed live on YouTube.

Lightweights Nick Chasteen (11-6, 3 KO’s) and Keemaan Diop (3-2, 2 KO’s) closed out the preliminary card with a three-round battle. Chasteen opened with a body kick and quickly followed it with a head kick. 

Diop showcased good defense and movement to evade damage. A missed kick from Diop allowed Chasteen to land a head kick, but it lacked power. He then worked the body with a combination and closed it with a heel kick to the body. 

Chasteen remained active throughout the round, landing with punch after punch as the round progressed. Diop mixed in kicks to start round two. Chasteen continued his assault of punches, finishing each combination with a kick. 

A right uppercut slipped through Diop’s guard, but he marched forward unfazed. The frame closed with more kicks from Chasteen. Diop was the aggressor as round three began, but Chasteen was relentless with his striking combinations. 

The jab of Diop found its mark, popping the head of Chasteen. The Hard Knocks 365 fighter turned up his output as the seconds counted down, but Chasteen was able to stay outside and avoid taking damage. When the final horn sounded, there was no doubt, as Chasteen walked away victorious.

The night began with a welterweight match-up between Ross Levine (4-0, 3 KO’s) and Sean Choice (8-4, 4 KO’s). Levine barreled forward as soon as the bell rang, bullying Choice to the ropes. 

Choice tried to find his range, but Levine stayed in the pocket and gave him very little space. Levine connected with a body kick that was answered by jumping knee from Choice. The pressure of Levine nearly cost him late in the opening frame as Choice delivered a counter knee as he came forward. 

The advance of Levine continued in the middle stanza. Choice looked to counter, but was met with an uppercut from Levine. The volume from Levine frequently caused Choice to put up a high guard. 

A hook to the liver from Levine allowed Choice to clinch and score with a pair of knees as the round came to a close. There was a sense of urgency from Choice in the fight’s final round. He came forward and attacked with kicks to the body. 

The swing in momentum was short-lived, however as Levine returned to firing an onslaught of punches. A heavy low kick from Levine was followed by a left hook over the guard of Choice. Levine never stopped looking for a finish, but it would not come as the fight saw the scorecards. The judges at ringside rewarded Levine for his efforts, keeping his perfect record intact.

Nick Chasteen def. Keemaan Diop by unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
Ross Levine def. Sean Choice by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)