K-1 cruiserweight champ Thian de Vries announces MMA switch

K-1 cruiserweight champion Thian de Vries plans to transition to mixed martial arts after two more kickboxing bouts, the undefeated Dutchman announced following his latest win in Japan.

De Vries, 25, revealed his intentions via Instagram Stories, according to a Sherdog report. The kickboxer has not specified which promotion he will join or when exactly he will make his cage debut, but made clear his timeline for the switch.

"King of the Jungle is back, 2 more kickboxing fights and afterwards full focus on MMA, MMA is the future," de Vries wrote, per the report. He also acknowledged that injuries and mental challenges marked his recent campaign.

De Vries looking to follow Pereira, Adesanya path

The move positions de Vries to follow the blueprint set by former UFC champions Alex Pereira and Israel Adesanya, both of whom transitioned successfully from elite kickboxing careers. De Vries carries an undefeated 32-0 record with 30 knockouts into his final two kickboxing commitments.

The Dutchman has not ruled out future kickboxing appearances but indicated his primary focus will shift to MMA training once those bouts conclude. His K-1 title status and next opponent remain unconfirmed.

Reported via:

• Sherdog — K-1 cruiserweight champ announces transition to MMA