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Regian 'The Immortal' Eersel is an absolute force. The Surinamese-Dutch kickboxer remains undefeated in his assault on the ONE Super Series lightweight ranks. He clinched top honors in his third bout with the promotion after besting Nieky 'The Natural' Holzken for the One Championship lightweight kickboxing title.
Eersel successfully defended his strap in a rematch with Holzken. The blazing newcomer then gave fans a savage beatdown of Mustapha Haida in his 2nd title defense.
The fight with Haida showcased what kind of monster Eersel is. The first round was somewhat competitive as Haida violently answered Eersel's constant forward momentum.
The second round, however, saw Haida begin to wilt. The ONE Championship king kept landing heavy leather followed by debilitating knees and kicks. Haida was breathing heavily after each exchange.
Rounds 3, 4 and 5 were pretty much the same. Haida would burst into the opening seconds, then Eersel would control the rest of the round. In the end, Eersel's pressure combinations were too much for Haida.
The fight was one of the most savage one-sided beatdowns we've seen in ONE Championship Super Series.
Watch the full fight here:
ONE Championship lightweight kickboxing champion Regian Eersel will defend his throne against newcomer Islam Murtazaev.
On December 3, at ONE Championship: Winter Warriors: Regian Eersel vies to defend his belt for a third straight time. The champ's latest foray is against Islam Murtazev. The relatively unknown Murtazaev might prove more dangerous than his low-profile suggests.
Expect the fighters to jockey for ring control from the get-go. Each athlete loves pushing forward and it should be interesting to see who imposes his will first. Look for Eersel to use trademark combinations and suffocating pressure. Murtazaev will try to make a statement using power and spinning attacks.
The challenger's wild, inventive style might play into for the ONE Championship title holder's hands, though.
Spinning attacks can prove taxing and Eersel loves to methodically sap his opponents' energy. Seeing his decimation of Haida, it wouldn't surprise if the champion employs the same strategy against his next foe.
