Regian Eersel is busy preparing for his fifth defense of the ONE Lightweight Kickboxing World Title, so he knows exactly what is expected of him.
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At ONE Fight Night 21 on Friday, April 5, “The Immortal” will put the coveted crown on the line against Alexis “Barboza” Nicolas inside the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, and their thrilling battle will serve as his grand return to kickboxing.
Regian Eersel is bracing to cement his name among the greats
Eersel took a break from his bread and butter to hunt for two-sport glory, which he achieved when he claimed the inaugural lightweight Muay Thai crown in October 2022. After two successful defenses of the belt, the Surinamese star has decided to cement his dominance in the kickboxing realm once again, and he believes his many World Title clashes will stand to him when he takes on Nicolas.
“My biggest advantage I think is my experience, my pressure going forward, and my aggression. I think he will struggle with that. I would say I’m a different kind of fighter. I am really going to put the pressure on him, and he will feel it.” Eersel told ONE in an interview.
All four of “The Immortal” World Title defenses in kickboxing so far have gone the distance, allowing fans and fighters alike to observe his cerebral and technical skill set in full display. There is much fight tape for Nicolas to study, and Eersel is of the belief that the Frenchman may pose a significant challenge for him in the ring. But there are external factors surrounding a matchup of this magnitude that could cause a fighter to take their eye off the ball.
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Handling the spotlight in ONE Fight Night 21
The fanfare and spotlight aren’t something everyone can handle, and the two-sport king will be ready to pounce if he notices his foe fumbling at any point.
“I think it can go two ways because fighters aren’t the same. It’s not only the fight – it’s all the things around it. It’s a World Title fight in one of the biggest organizations in the world, so we get a lot of interviews and a lot of attention. When it’s close, all the media and all the attention that you get, some fighters can’t handle it,” Eersel said.
He further added, “You will not notice it from the fighter. But inside his head, it’s sometimes a lot. If he can handle it, good. If not, I will notice. I will notice in the fight. And even before the fight. Because sometimes you see it in the eyes, the hesitation. So, I’m going to recognize it if he has it.” ONE Fight Night 21 will be broadcast live and free on Prime Video for fans across North America with an active Amazon subscription.
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