Nieky Holzken offers candid response about what would make him transition to MMA

Dutch kickboxing sensation Nieky Holzken aims to try his hand at mixed martial arts before deciding to hang up his gloves for good.

At 39 years old and with over 100 kickboxing bouts to his name, ‘The Natural’ acknowledges that he’s entering the twilight of his decorated career.

Aside from making another run at ONE lightweight kickboxing crown, Holzken revealed he’s also interested in transitioning to MMA, which is of course possible through the promotion’s stacked divisions across multiple combat sports.

However, given the risk involved, the Helmond, the Netherlands native wants it to be worth his time and shared his conditions for it to happen.

He told ONE Championship in an exclusive interview:

"I want to do MMA one time or a couple of times, but then the money needs to be much higher than I get for kickboxing because it's a different sport.”

In the same interview, Holzken revealed he did train jiu-jitsu for some time, so he knows a thing or two when the fight hits the ground.

Plus, every MMA fight starts on the feet, and we know the former ONE lightweight kickboxing world title challenger has one of the most lethal striking arsenals in the world.

‘The Natural’s highly entertaining Dutch kickboxing style is a treat to watch, as he holds notable knockout victories over Cosmo Alexandre, Elliot Compton, and John Wayne Parr.

The Team Holzken Helmon standout will make his first appearance of the year on June 9, as part of ONE Fight Night 11: Eersel vs Menshikov on Prime Video.

Holzken will be locking horns with a fellow former world title challenger, Arian Sadikovic at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok.

Don’t miss this certified barnburner, which will air live on US Primetime and free of charge for Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.