Two-sport ONE World Champion Regian Eersel returned to his home country of Suriname recently, in the hopes of inspiring the next generation of fighters in the country. “The Immortal” was born in the former Dutch colony, but his family moved to Amsterdam to seek better opportunities soon after. 

In a recent interview with ONE Championship, Eersel, who puts his lightweight Muay Thai crown on the line against Russian debutant Dmitry Menshikov this Friday, June 9, at ONE Fight Night 11, shared his eventful visit to his native land.

Regian Eersel wanted to stand by young aspiring Surinamese fighters

“I went to Suriname for a week. I brought my belts with me. I met the President and also had a nice conversation with him. I went to some gyms to give some clinics and also to work with the fighters and the youth,” he said. “We got a lot of positive reactions, and they showed me love. It was good. So, that motivates me to do better.”

Throughout his meteoric rise and professional martial arts career, the 30-year-old has never failed to acknowledge his roots and has always looked for ways to give back to the country any way that he can. He recognizes the struggles that up-and-coming fighters may face in his Suriname, and his visit made him more aware than ever of the effect his success has on his compatriots who watch his fights.

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“It’s very important for me to do this in Suriname. I was born there, and I’ve been there many times. I want to help the young fighters that are over there because we have a lot of talent. But because of the circumstances in the country, they cannot develop by going outside and fighting in foreign countries,” Eersel said.

Regian Eresel was motivated to win after seeing his natives take pride in his victories

“But for me, it’s very important because they tell me, ‘We only see you on television. And now, you are here in real life.’ So, it makes me very happy. It feels good”. “The Immortal’s” upcoming foe will be out to cause an upset on Friday evening, and his 11-fight winning streak makes him a bona fide threat to his reign.

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But Eersel has the pride of a nation riding on putting in another world-class performance, so ONE fans can expect him to take no prisoners when the opening bell sounds at ONE Fight Night 11. Their match, and the rest of the ONE Fight Night 11: Eersel vs. Menshikov card, will be broadcast live on Prime Video for fans across North America with an active Amazon subscription.