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Regian Eersel successfully defended the ONE Lightweight Kickboxing World Title at ONE 156, but it did not come easy against the hard-hitting Arian Sadikovic.
In a post-fight interview with SCMP MMA, ‘The Immortal’ was asked if it was the toughest test in his world title reign so far, Eersel said:
“Yes, I had to dig deep, you know. It was the toughest test for my ONE Championship career. I enjoyed the fight. It didn’t seem that way but you know I’m a fighter. I like a good fight, and I think I put a good fight for the fans.”
Sadikovic put the pressure on as he promised and pressed forward against the world champion in the early rounds. In the second round, ‘Game Over’ stunned everyone with a flying knee that knocked Eersel down to the ground.
After surviving the round, Eersel put his stamp on the contest, stringing together combinations that turned his rival on the defensive all the way to the championship rounds.
Eersel got the nod from all three judges to score a unanimous decision victory to keep the world title in his possession. While he got a scare, 'The Immortal' said he took it as a valuable lesson.
“I enjoyed this one very much. This was a challenge for me. I got my first eight count on ONE Championship, so it’s a lesson for me. Each fight is a lesson for me, and I think I’m getting better each fight, so it’s good for me, this experience."
Watch the full interview here:
Regian Eersel looks to continue building his legacy in ONE Championship
Despite the rising popularity of hybrid rules contests and chasing world titles in different sports, Regian Eersel would like to focus more on defending his title over anything else.
The now five-time ONE Lightweight Kickboxing World Champion hopes to build his legacy by reigning in sheer dominance over the division for the foreseeable future.
In the post-fight interview, Eersel said:
“I definitely feel at home here. I’m making history - six years undefeated and now 19 fights (in a row). I hope I can continue that as long as possible in ONE Championship.”
