He is ranked as the tenth best heavyweight by Combat Press as of September 2022,[4] and seventh best by Beyond Kickboxing as of October 2022.[5]
Kickboxing career
Enfusion
Rigters made his promotional debut with Enfusion in 2017 against Serkan Ozcaglayan. Rigters won the fight by a unanimous decision.[6] During WFL: Manhoef vs. Bonjasky he fought Redouan Cairo. Rigters won the fight by a first round TKO.[7] During Enfusion 63 Rigters defeated Bruno Susano by a second round TKO.[8]
Rigters faced Martin Pacas for the Enfusion Super Heavyweight championship at Enfusion 73 on October 27, 2018. Rigters won the title by a unanimous decision.[9]
Rigters continued his undefeated streak with non-title wins over Mihajlo Kecojevic at Enfusion 86, on June 28, 2019,[10] and Dexter Suisse at Enfusion 88 on October 5, 2019.[11]
Rigters made his first heavyweight title defense against Nidal Bchiri at Enfusion 79 on February 23, 2020. He won the fight by a unanimous decision.[12][13]
Levi Rigters then entered the 2019 Abu Dhabi World Grand Prix, held at Enfusion 92 on December 6, 2019. He beat Giannis Stoforidis by unanimous decision in the tournament semifinals, and in the finals he defeated Martin Pacas by unanimous decision as well.[14][15]
Glory
Rigters was scheduled to make his Glory debut at Glory 76 on December 12, 2020. He was to take part in a four-man heavyweight tournament, facing the #5 ranked heavyweight Antonio Plazibat in the semi-finals.[16] The tournament parings later changed, as Arkadiusz Wrzose pulled out of the tournament. Righters was rescheduled to face Jahfarr Wilnis.[17] His opponent changed once more, with Wilnis being replaced by Massinissa Hamaili.[18] The event was indefinitely postponed, as main event fighter Badr Hari contracted COVID-19,[19] as well as due to a partial lockdown imposed by the Dutch government.[20] The event was rescheduled for December 19.[21] Hamaili would later be replaced by Marciano Bhagwandass, four days before the event.[22] Rigters won the tournament, knocking out Marciano Bhagwandass with a body shot in the second round of the semifinal bout, and Nordine Mahieddine by a body kick in the first round of the tournament final.[23]
Rigters took part in a four man heavyweight tournament at Glory 77 on January 30, 2021, facing Tarik Khbabez in the semifinals, as a late notice replacement for Antonio Plazibat.[24] Despite coming into the fight as a favorite,[25] Rigters would lose the fight by split decision.[26]
Rigters was booked to fight the #10 ranked Glory heavyweight Tomáš Možný at Glory 78: Arnhem on September 4, 2021.[27][28] He won the fight by a third-round technical knockout, stopping his opponent with low kicks.[29]
Rigters was expected to face the two-time Glory heavyweight title challenger Jamal Ben Saddik at Glory 80 on March 19, 2022.[30] The bout was cancelled minutes before starting, due to riots breaking out in the crowd.[31] Rigters was next booked to face Tariq Osaro at Glory: Collision 4 on October 8, 2022.[32] He won the fight by unanimous decision, with all five judges scoring the bout 29–28 in his favor.[33]
Rigters was expected to face Martin Terpstra, in a special qualifier for the Glory Heavyweight Grand Prix, at Glory 89 on October 7, 2023.[34] Terpstra withdrew from the fight on the day of the bout and was replaced by Ion Taburceanu.[35]
Rigters faced Uku Jürjendal in the quarterfinals of the Glory Heavyweight Grand Prix on March 9, 2024.[36] He won the fight by a second-round knockout.[37] Rigters overcame Bahram Rajabzadeh by unanimous decision in the semifinals of the one-day tournament,[38] but suffered a second-round technical loss at the hands of Rico Verhoeven in the finals.[39]
Rigters was expected to face Jahfarr Wilnis at Glory 92 on May 18, 2024.[40] Wilnis withdrew from the fight for undisclosed reasons on May 8, 2024,[41] and was replaced by Nico Pereira Horta.[42] Rigters won the fight by unanimous decision.[43]
Rigters was expected to face Antonio Plazibat at Glory 95 on September 21, 2024.[44] Plazibat withdrew from the bout on August 19, 2024, due to an elbow injury.[45] Rigters was re-scheduled to face Bahram Rajabzadeh at the same event.[46]
Rigters is scheduled to challenge Rico Verhoeven for Glory heavyweight title in a rematch at Collision 7 on December 7, 2024 at GelreDome in Arnhem, Netherlands.[47]
