Fighters coming from kickboxing are highly appreciated by MMA fans. Their style and ability to produce knockouts make them the kind of fighters organizations love to invest in. This is also true among European MMA prospects, where many up-and-comers with kickboxing backgrounds are earning attention. Historically, many have successfully transitioned to MMA, reaching the top of the sport. Ulberg’s recent title is further proof of that.
Europe is one of the world’s kickboxing hubs. Kickboxing, Muay Thai, and Savate are all highly developed and popular there. Countries like France, the Netherlands, and England have produced some of the greatest fighters of all time in these disciplines. Recently, many of these fighters have started turning to MMA, attracted by the sport’s growing popularity.
Cédric Doumbé is the one whose transition has generated the most buzz, helped by his incessant trash talk. In his wake, more and more kickboxers are venturing into MMA, each trying to carve out a place for themselves at the top.
Today, I present five of these European kickboxing champions who have recently made the transition to MMA. Obviously, the main question surrounding these fighters is their level of ground defense and wrestling. Their stand-up game is far superior to that of the average MMA fighter. The question is whether they can keep the fight standing.
The recent example of Jimmy Viennot being controlled on the ground for 15 minutes at ARES Fighting Championship shows just how difficult this transition can be. Furthermore, MMA striking is not exactly the same as kickboxing. The smaller gloves, the cage, and the constant threat of takedowns can put even elite strikers at a disadvantage.
We saw that firsthand when Dylan Salvador was knocked out by Bolaji Oki on Dana White’s Contender Series. We will therefore try to assess whether these fighters have been able to develop their wrestling and adapt their striking to MMA.
Alexis Nicolas 1-0 — Welterweight — France
Kickboxing record: 18-2
Notable achievement: ONE Champion, 2021 Savate World Champion
Combined MMA record of opponents: 1-1
A product of Savate, of which he became world champion, Alexis Nicolas first successfully transitioned to kickboxing. He became the first French ONE champion by defeating Regian Eersel — an achievement that made him the new face of kickboxing in France. He would unfortunately lose the belt and the trilogy to Eersel. Despite that, he remains a well-known name among French audiences, who expected to see him in MMA much like a certain Cédric Doumbé.
Nicolas had often spoken of a potential MMA transition even before becoming ONE champion. His kickboxing style — based on movement, hitting without being hit — was extremely well-suited to MMA. It therefore came as no surprise when he announced his MMA transition in 2025, having already begun training BJJ. He was then seen at the Atch Academy, Salahdine Parnasse’s gym, where he trained for his debut. Parnasse is known for his relentless work ethic, which must have helped Nicolas progress quickly in MMA.
His debut was eagerly awaited by French fans, with every French organization wanting to sign him. He ultimately signed with Ares and made his debut on April 10th. One notable point: he fills arenas, with 4,000 spectators attending his debut. His opponent was Englishman Jack Woodward (1-1, 5-3 amateur). Woodward was a solid test for Nicolas’s debut — experienced, with 10 years of MMA career behind him, yet well within range for a favored Nicolas. Woodward did exactly what was expected: he wrestled and tried to bring the fight to the ground. He also showed a lot of resilience against a Nicolas who delivered a masterclass in striking.
As expected, his striking is perfectly adapted to MMA and looks set to cause serious damage. His wrestling defense can still improve, though it is already fairly solid. He showed a good ability to get back up when taken down, proving he has worked hard on his weaknesses. This first fight was therefore very promising. Nicolas showed tremendous potential and should move up quickly at Ares. The organization should continue to develop him gradually through 2026, allowing him to gain experience while facing progressively tougher opposition. He is clearly one of the best French prospects and should quickly make his way toward the biggest organizations.
Alim Nabiev 3-0 — Welterweight — Azerbaijan
Kickboxing record: 55-9
Notable achievement: 2x GLORY title challenger
Combined MMA record of opponents: 6-3
Representing Azerbaijan and Georgia, Nabiev established himself at the top of world kickboxing. Unfortunately, he fell short twice in GLORY title fights, never becoming a world champion. After a long kickboxing career, he made the jump to MMA in 2025.
He began with a first-round KO, hinting at good things to come. One month later, he won again by first-round KO. In his third fight, however, he delivered a more mixed performance. He looked somewhat passive on the feet and at times engaged in a brawl against an opponent weaker in striking. He still dominated standing and won by decision. One interesting sequence in this fight was his ability to defend submissions — his opponent spent three minutes on his back, and Nabiev successfully defended the submission attempts throughout before finally getting back up. This moment is telling: it shows he has acquired meaningful ground fundamentals.
Across his three fights, he has shown effective MMA striking, though it could still be more lethal. It remains to be seen how he fares against a wrestler before drawing any firm conclusions. Nabiev appears to be signed with GFC, an ideal organization for him to develop at a steady pace without taking undue risks. On home soil in Georgia, he has the potential to become a massive star — though this brings the risk of always facing weak opposition to keep him looking good. If he is aiming for the highest level, he will need to step up in competition in the medium term. Nabiev remains a top European talent, one to watch closely as he develops.
Arian Sadikovic 2-0 — Welterweight — Bosnia/Germany
Kickboxing record: 38-5
Notable achievement: ONE title challenger
Combined MMA record of opponents: 1-1
Arian Sadikovic has been one of the best welterweights in the world in recent years. After shining at GLORY, he signed with ONE where he challenged for the belt against Eersel, a fight he would lose.
In 2024, he made his MMA debut at AMC in Germany, picking up a quick victory in under a minute by opponent retirement. Following that successful debut, he signed with Oktagon. Having become the number one organization in Germany, Oktagon seemed like the perfect platform to turn Arian into a star. After a year’s wait, he made his Oktagon debut in January 2026.
Facing Molapo (1-1), who had solid amateur experience (7-2), he faced his first real MMA test. He showcased elite, destructive striking that hurt his opponent badly, finishing the fight by TKO in round two — his second finish in MMA. However, he showed clear gaps in his wrestling defense that he will need to address quickly. In an organization full of solid European fighters, this weakness could cost him a win in the near future. He did show a good ability to get back to his feet when taken down, which is encouraging.
Oktagon should continue giving him a few easier fights to build him up and raise his profile in Germany. Sadikovic clearly has the profile of a European MMA star given his style and kickboxing résumé. But at already 31 years old at welterweight, his window to reach the top level seems fairly narrow. He will need to gain experience and level up quickly if he is targeting the top of the European — and then world — stage.
Tyjani Beztati 3-0 — Lightweight — Netherlands/Suriname
Kickboxing record: 27-5-2
Notable achievement: GLORY Lightweight and Welterweight Champion
Combined MMA record of opponents: 14-23
Tyjani Beztati is one of the best kickboxers in GLORY’s recent history. A two-division champion, he established himself as one of the best in the world. His MMA debut was highly anticipated given his résumé.
He chose to debut at LFL, a Dutch organization that has mastered the art of transitioning kickboxers — a seemingly shrewd choice. Indeed, fighters like Yousri Belgaroui (10-3), Miles Simson (3-0), and Ilias Bulaid (9-0) have all thrived there. Beztati more than delivered on his MMA debut, going 3-0 with three first-round KO victories.
Across those three fights, he demonstrated elite striking perfectly adapted to MMA. His clinch work is also a lethal weapon he can use to finish fights. So far, he has shown solid wrestling defense and has not been taken down. It remains to be seen what happens when he does end up on the ground. That said, it must be noted that his opponents have been of a low level, chosen to make him look good — an understandable approach while he gains MMA experience.
After three wins, a step up in competition is now expected so he can be tested in wrestling and show his true MMA level. LFL does not seem like the right organization for that, quite the opposite. Given his kickboxing résumé, Beztati should soon attract calls from the biggest organizations. The question is whether, before that happens, he will have faced quality opposition or simply collected easy wins.
If he wants to shine in MMA the way he did in kickboxing, he will need to raise his level of competition quickly. Beztati is clearly one of the biggest European prospects to watch — it will be fascinating to see how his career unfolds in the months ahead.
Yassine Boughanem 3-1 — Middleweight — Belgium/Morocco
Muay Thai record: 132-33
Notable achievement: Heavyweight World Champion, 2016 Super Muay Thai Heavyweight Tournament Winner Combined
MMA record of opponents: 9-11
The Boughanem name is one of the most respected in Muay Thai. Starting from nothing in Belgium, the two brothers established themselves as benchmarks in the sport. Recently, they both transitioned to MMA. Youssef, the elder brother, is currently 5-0 and competing at lightweight.
At 35, the chances of seeing him shine in the biggest organizations seem fairly slim, though he remains a fighter worth following in Europe. It is his younger brother Yassine, however, who we will focus on here. Yassine established himself as one of the best heavyweights in recent Muay Thai history, accumulating victories and titles that made him a major name in the sport.
In 2022, he made his MMA debut at Ares. While dominating the first round, he suffered a shoulder injury and ultimately lost. After that failed debut, he disappeared from MMA before returning stronger. First, he transformed himself physically — losing over 20 kg to drop from heavyweight to middleweight. He then went to train under Nicolas Ott, one of France’s rising coaches, working on his wrestling and ground game to come back better.
That return came in 2025 against Fabrice Touré (0-0). After a solid performance, Yassine won by rear naked choke in round two — a victory that showed significant improvement in his wrestling and ground work. He followed that up with a first-round KO in October 2025 against a low-level opponent. Just one month later, he returned to face the toughest test of his MMA career, David Karp (8-10) — an experienced circuit veteran and a genuine first test for Yassine. In that fight, he displayed solid wrestling and dominated that aspect of the bout. His Muay Thai clinch was also highly effective, as were his calf kicks.
Two problems emerged, however: the first is that he appears unfamiliar with the rules, landing two significant illegal ground strikes on his opponent and costing himself a point deduction. The second is that his striking does not seem to translate as well to MMA as expected — given his résumé, one would expect far more dominance on the feet. Despite this, he won and delivered a promising performance, particularly given his wrestling level.
Boughanem should continue progressing gradually while stepping up in competition. Given his profile and popularity in Belgium, I could see him signing with PFL, where he could compete in front of his home crowd. At 32 and at middleweight, he has time to establish himself and target the top organizations.
