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ONE Championship’s Regian Eersel returns to the global stage this Friday, where he will contend for the inaugural lightweight Muay Thai world championship against Thailand's Sinsamut Klinmee.
Dominating the kickboxing circuit with a record of 7-0, the Surinamese-Dutch striker wants to extend his run under the Muay Thai ruleset to become a double world champion.
In the way of that pursuit is 26-year-old Sinsamut ‘Aquaman’ Klinmee, the newest rising star at ONE Championship.
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Watching Sinsamut’s career take flight in a brief amount of time brought back good memories for the champion, primarily about how he made his start at ONE Championship.
Taking media questions ahead of their fight, Regian Eersel recalled the fight that truly cemented his legacy as a world champion:
“My most memorable memory in the cage was my 2nd fight against Nieky Holzken. I showed the world who I am and why I am the champ. My country was hyped for the fight and I proved that I’m No.1.”
Watch the video below:
The longtime divisional world champion is at the top of his game. Before making the move to Muay Thai, Regian Eersel racked up a record of 19 consecutive wins within six years. The only person who has ever come close to dethroning him inside the circle was German challenger Arian Sadikovic at ONE 156.
Eersel narrowly escaped defeat after Sadikovic smashed him with a brutal knee to the chin in the second round. Regathering his wits after that close call, ‘The Immortal’ realized he had a lot of holes to plug. This month, Regan Eersel feels he’s more ready than he’s ever been.
Willing to stand and trade strikes with Sinsamut, Eersel’s experience inside the circle could be the difference-maker as to whether he’ll be the new face of Muay Thai.
Regian Eersel dug deep after Arian Sadikovic’s knee
Regian Eersel’s mental toughness was tested last April at ONE 156.
After recovering from a near-fatal knee against Arian Sadikovic, Eersel admitted feeling like his time as champion was about to expire. He recalled that scary moment in the post-fight interview with ONE Championship and said:
“Yeah, I had to dig deep. My respect to Arian, my opponent. He’s a warrior. I think he will be champion one day.”
Watch highlights from the fight below:
Hailing from Germany, Arian Sadikovic had racked up an amateur record of 21-5 before making his ONE debut last year. He turned heads by defeating Mustapha Haida at ONE: Winter Warriors II in dominant fashion, earning himself a world title shot with the kickboxing kingpin. It won’t be long until these two powerhouses meet again inside the circle for a world title rematch.
