Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s son Knox Jolie-Pittwent from cap and gown to gloves and kicks in the span of a few hours … celebrating his high school graduation before stepping into the ring for a Muay Thai fight later that same night.

The 17-year-old surprised classmates and parents during a graduation speech Friday in Los Angeles when he revealed he’d be competing after the ceremony. Knox even joked to the crowd that he was going to “knock ’em” out … drawing cheers from the audience.