Levi Rigters made his MMA debut at Levels Fight League in Den Bosch, defeating Spain’s De Brito. His opponent tried to draw him into a ground fight, but Rigters—who considers wrestling the least developed part of his MMA game—kept his distance. A kick put De Brito down; Rigters followed with nine strikes before the referee stopped the contest. The report’s headline says the finish came in 45 seconds.
The bout marks a new phase for the 31-year-old after kickboxing. He had lost twice to Rico Verhoeven and, according to trainer Mike Polanen, wanted a new challenge after his motivation to continue in Glory declined. Polanen cautioned against expecting a newcomer to face a world star immediately: De Brito had extensive cage-fighting experience, while this was Rigters’ first MMA contest.
The team’s stated plan is gradual: seven wins within a year would move Rigters closer to the UFC. The fighter described the approach as step by step. Around 3,000 spectators attended the event at the Maaspoort.
Former Olympic judoka Roy Meyer, 35, also made his MMA debut that night against Brazilian Tiago Afonso. The report said Meyer handled the bout comfortably. Dutch UFC fighter Reinier de Ridder watched from the arena and said the level of opposition made it too early to judge how far his compatriots could go.