One of kickboxing’s fastest-rising talents appears ready to test himself in a new arena.
K-1 cruiserweight champion Thian de Vries revealed via Instagram Stories that he plans to transition to mixed martial arts after completing two more kickboxing bouts following his latest win in Japan.
Thian de Vries on what’s next after kickboxing: ‘MMA is the future’
The Dutchman, who has enjoyed a meteoric rise in kickboxing, recently announced that he plans to move to MMA soon. While de Vries did not reveal when or with which promotion he intends to make his MMA debut, he indicated that he first intends to fulfill two remaining kickboxing commitments before making the switch.
“I am so f*cking happy and grateful guys,” the 25-year-old wrote in a new Instagram story. “It’s been a tough year for me with injuries, a mental struggle sometimes. King of the Jungle is back, 2 more kickboxing fights and afterwards full focus on MMA, MMA is the future.”
He’ll look to follow in the footsteps of former Ultimate Fighting Championship champions Alex Pereira and Israel Adesanya, who enjoyed successful transitions from kickboxing to MMA.
