Former GLORY welterweight champion Endy Semeleer has decided to make the switch to MMA and signed with Levels Fight League., the Curaçaoan-Dutch kickboxer told Sportnieuws.nl.
After reaching the top of kickboxing and capturing GLORY gold, Semeleer was looking for a new challenge. The Dutch standout recently started training MMA and quickly realized he wanted to pursue the sport seriously.
Although he lost the GLORY welterweight title to Chico Kwasi at GLORY 91, he later defeated Teodor Hristov, who had beaten Kwasi earlier that same night, strengthening Semeleer’s case as the de facto No. 1 welterweight in the world right now.
"I was simply looking for a new stimulus, a new challenge," Semeleer said. “I trained MMA and immediately fell in love with it. This is much more fun than I expected.”
There is a conversation to be had about GLORY’s inability to retain some of its top talent, as more high-profile fighters are exploring opportunities in MMA. Dutch promotion Levels Fight League continues to attract notable names from the kickboxing world, with Semeleer joining fellow former GLORY fighters Tyjani Beztati and Younes Smaili on the roster.
A future MMA matchup with Beztati is not something Semeleer would shy away from. The former rivals could potentially meet again under a different rule set as they continue their respective transitions into the sport.
Although Semeleer has not completely ruled out competing in kickboxing again, his focus is firmly on MMA. He believes the progress he can make over the coming months outweighs any immediate return to the ring.
His MMA debut has yet to be announced, but his ambitions remain as high as ever.
"I always want to win, I want to achieve the highest level possible," Semeleer said. "No matter what organization it's in, I just want to keep progressing."
