Of all the things he envisioned for his future, a young Regian “The Immortal” Eersel never thought he would one day be honored in a museum.
However, the Surinamese striking icon has built his career to such great heights that he has been featured at Amsterdam’s prestigious Wereldmuseum ahead of his rematch with Alexis “Barboza” Nicolas at ONE Fight Night 25 on Prime Video.
Eersel – who is aiming to win back the ONE Lightweight Kickboxing World Title at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday, October 4 – was approached to take part in a new martial arts exhibition celebrating the power and beauty of combat traditions.
As the reigning ONE Lightweight Muay Thai World Champion and five-time kickboxing king, “The Immortal” was surprised by a visitor at the gym one day who came to ask for his participation.
Eersel recalled:
“He said, ‘I work for the Wereldmuseum in Amsterdam and we are going to do an exhibition about martial arts, including kickboxing and Muay Thai. And I wanted to ask you if we can borrow your ONE Championship belt to put it in the museum.’ I said, ‘Yes, of course.’
“We set up appointments and took some pictures in the gym of me and the belt and they used the pictures to hang around the city.
“People can come to the museum to see a great story and explanation about martial arts.”
Although Eersel is revered globally for his elite striking skills, it can sometimes feel contained within the bubble of the combat sports community.
But with the cultural significance that martial arts have and the way athletes can inspire people, the Wereldmuseum chose to highlight their impact across the world, as well as the prominent sport of kickboxing in their own locality.
Given the massive scope of the project, Eersel was thrilled to be a part of it:
“I feel honored that my belt, my picture, and my story are in the museum in Amsterdam. I feel appreciated. You really can tell now that hard work pays off because the thought that I would be hanging in the museum in Amsterdam is crazy. I feel blessed.”
Eersel Spurred On By Recognition From Wereldmuseum
Even “The Immortal” can feel emotional sometimes.
Known for his unflappable demeanor, Regian Eersel admits that the recognition for his lifetime of hard work in one of Amsterdam’s biggest museums was an impactful moment – especially surrounded by his loved ones.
He said:
“At the opening of the exhibition my parents came, and also some of my family members and my manager came, so it was really a moment to stand still and look at what I have accomplished in life and in my career. It was a little bit of an emotional moment.”
Still, he isn’t resigning himself to merely being an artifact in a glass case. Instead, this marker of his efforts has given Eersel more fuel to regain his ONE Lightweight Kickboxing World Title against Alexis Nicolas at ONE Fight Night 25:
“This exhibition motivates me a lot for my next fight. If I win this, it only makes my legacy bigger and bigger. And that’s the motivation that I need. It started a fire inside of me for October 5.”
