Two independent sources have told LowKick MMA that Dutch heavyweight Levi Rigters is leaving GLORY Kickboxing and plans to make his professional MMA debut in September, continuing a years-long trend of elite kickboxers departing the organisation.
The destination has not been confirmed, but speculation points to three organisations operating in the Netherlands as the most plausible landing spots: Levels Fight League, which bills itself as the biggest MMA promotion in the Benelux region and runs out of Amsterdam; PFL Europe, the European arm of the Professional Fighters League; or Cage Warriors Academy Lowlands, an Eindhoven-based organisation that feeds talent into Cage Warriors, one of Europe’s leading MMA promotions.
Levi Rigters Leaving GLORY Kickboxing, MMA Debut Planned for September
Rigters, 30, from Abcoude in the Netherlands, compiled a kickboxing record of 28 wins and 5 losses over his career, with 15 of those victories coming by knockout. He signed with GLORY in August 2020 after dominating the Enfusion circuit, where he won a two-time heavyweight title and claimed the 2019 Abu Dhabi World Grand Prix by beating Martin Pacas in the final.
“The Judge” made his GLORY debut at Glory 76 in December 2020, winning a four-man tournament on the same night, defeating Marciano Bhugwandass and Nordine Mahieddine by knockout. Known inside the promotion as “The Prince of Kickboxing,” Rigters trained out of ARJ Trainingen under coach Maikel Polanen in his later GLORY years.
His time in GLORY produced a string of notable performances. In August 2025, he knocked out Jamal Ben Saddik at GLORY 103 in Rotterdam with a spinning back kick to the body in round three, a finish that put him squarely in the Last Heavyweight Standing tournament. He was scheduled to fight Antonio Plazibat in December 2025 at Collision 8 for a spot in the tournament final, but withdrew due to personal circumstances. He subsequently lost his place in the tournament altogether after a defeat to Sofian Laidouni at GLORY 104.
The biggest fight of his career came in two title challenges against Rico Verhoeven. He fought Verhoeven in the GLORY Heavyweight Grand Prix final in March 2024 and again at Collision 7 in December 2024, losing both by unanimous decision but scoring a knockdown along the way.
Rigters departing GLORY fits a now well-worn pattern. The list of prominent Dutch and European GLORY fighters who have crossed over to MMA in recent years is long. Alex Pereira left as a two-division GLORY world champion and went on to win UFC titles at middleweight and light heavyweight. Cédric Doumbé, a two-time GLORY welterweight champion, signed with PFL in 2023 and cited a significant pay differential as part of his reasoning. Tyjani Beztati, the GLORY lightweight champion, retired from kickboxing in September 2025 to make his MMA debut with Levels Fight League. Former GLORY light heavyweight champion Donegi Abena signed with PFL in May 2026. Endy Semeleer, the former GLORY welterweight champion, recently confirmed he is leaving the organization.
Even Rico Verhoeven left GLORY after announcing his departure in November 2025, went on to challenge Oleksandr Usyk for the WBC heavyweight boxing title at the Pyramids of Giza on May 23, 2026, losing a hard-fought stoppage in round 11 with one second remaining on the clock.
For Rigters, the transition to MMA brings its own set of challenges as he built his kickboxing career on a kicking game that includes powerful high kicks, body kicks, and knee strikes. Incorporating wrestling, submissions, and grappling transitions will take time regardless of the calibre of his striking. Beztati, who made a similar leap just months ago, has spoken openly about how the transition demands a full rebuild from the ground up. The September timeline, if accurate, is aggressive, though not unprecedented for a striker of Rigters’ experience level.
No announcement has been made by Rigters or any of the organisations named.
