Dutch kickboxer Levi Rigters has announced his move to Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) by signing with Levels Fight League (LFL).
The decision comes after he failed to reach an agreement for a heavyweight title fight with Glory.
>>> Anthony Gordon Dismisses Javier Aguirre Swearing Incident as Joke
The 30-year-old fighter from Abcoude previously lost a heavyweight title bout against Rico Verhoeven in December 2024.
He decided to leave kickboxing to challenge himself in the cage.
“In MMA, I found what I have been missing in kickboxing for a while,” Rigters said, according to a report by NOS.
Rigters explained that starting a new discipline brings back a sense of novelty. “New energy, learning new things.
I've been kickboxing for fifteen years, in MMA I start again from zero,” he said.
He had hoped to secure a rematch against Verhoeven, but that opportunity vanished when Verhoeven left Glory late last year.
Rigters noted that negotiations for another title fight did not succeed.
“My goal was always to take Rico's title. That didn't work out.
I would have liked to fight for the title, but I couldn't come to an agreement with Glory.
So now I'm starting a new journey, and that is the right choice,” Rigters said.
LFL Gains a Major Name
For LFL, acquiring Rigters is a significant milestone. The promotion has been actively signing prominent Dutch fighters, including former Glory lightweight champion Tyjani Beztati.
“Besides Verhoeven, Levi is the biggest combat athlete in the Netherlands.
