Regian “The Immortal” Eersel got a double dose of victory at ONE Fight Night 25 in U.S. primetime last Friday, October 4.
The Surinamese superstar regained the ONE Lightweight Kickboxing World Title and got redemption for his lone defeat in the world’s largest martial arts organization against Alexis “Barboza” Nicolas.
Nicolas shocked a lot of people when he snapped Eersel’s perfect 10-0 run in the organization to snatch the crown back in April.
But this time, “The Immortal” proved he is still the top dog with a blistering performance at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Eersel told onefc.com he was fired up after tasting defeat for the first time in eight years and brought that intensity to his rematch with the French phenom:
“Of course, people were doubting me, especially the French fans. I got a lot of messages saying that I was going to sleep. But that only added fuel to the fire. It only motivated me, and you saw the result.
“I’m very satisfied [that I avenged my only loss in ONE]. It’s one of the best things. I’m very happy.”
Though it was a hard-fought battle, there was little doubt that Eersel’s hand would be raised at the final bell.
He used his trademark aggression to attack with punches, knees, and heavy low kicks en route to a convincing unanimous decision – and handed Nicolas the first loss of his 25-fight career in the process.
The 31-year-old says the key was making the right adjustments to better deal with the tactics of his talented rival:
“Alexis is a challenging opponent because of his fighting style. He’s very quick. His fighting [style] is unique, but you saw I found the key to beat him.
“I knew in the last [round] I was winning the fight. I was scoring more points.”
Eersel Ready For New Opponents: ‘ONE Can Line Them Up’
Regian Eersel is looking forward to a different challenge after getting revenge against Alexis Nicolas at ONE Fight Night 25.
He came up narrowly short in their first bout but controlled the action for the duration of their second encounter, and a rubber match is not at the top of his agenda.
Instead, the reigning two-sport World Champion feels that he should defend his other belt next to keep the lightweight Muay Thai division moving:
“No, [I don’t think we should have a trilogy fight with Nicolas] right now. Maybe in the future.
“I hope my next fight will be in Muay Thai because the position is waiting for me. It took a long time to defend my Muay Thai belt, so I think now it’s time.
“First, I’m going to enjoy this victory, then we will talk about my next opponent. It can be anybody. Just bring them to me. I have no names. ONE can line them up for me.”
While “the art of eight limbs” is his top priority right now, Eersel could also be enticed by something completely different.
With some MMA and grappling experience thanks to his BJJ black belt father, “The Immortal” is tempted by the idea of changing things up with a unique type of battle.
He added:
“I can do a mixed-rules fight. Not MMA. It would take more preparation, and it’s not one of my goals.
“What’s most exciting about a mixed-rules fight is you can fight [in] almost all of the disciplines. And it’s a challenge. I like challenges. We have to challenge ourselves – that’s why we’re here.”
