“I have almost another person inside me” - Regian Eersel shares the story behind his alter ego and nickname, ‘The Immortal’

Regian Eersel’s nickname is ’The Immortal' and it's literally his fighting name because he says there are two different people inside him.

The ONE lightweight kickboxing world champion typically walks to his fights donning head gear that has since become his signature during events. It marks the change from the soft-spoken and non-confrontational Eersel to the ruthless warrior that is ‘The Immortal’.

Despite this significant change, it wasn’t an idea that the Suriname native embraced from the get-go. In an interview with ONE Championship, Eersel shared that he blurted out the idea of using a mask from the movie ‘300’ because it seemed perfect for his new nickname.

Regian Eersel said:

“Then my manager said, ‘You should buy the mask and come out before you fight with the mask on. People are gonna love it.’ I was like, ‘No, I can’t do it. Coming up with a mask, I’m going to look like a fool.’ My manager said, ‘Oh, believe me. Just try it.' I tried it the first time, and the audience was going crazy. I thought, ‘Okay, maybe this works!’ So I started using the mask, and now it’s part of myself.”

Making his personality change is not as easy as just donning a mask. However, Eersel said that he needs to unleash the beast whenever he steps into the ring.

“The switch is difficult. Everyone asked me that. But I can really tell you I have almost another person inside me that is full of aggression. And it comes out in the ring. When I’m in there, I’m just in kill mode.”

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The origin of ‘The Immortal’ nickname for Regian Eersel

Regian Eersel’s relentless spirit and unlimited stamina in the ring earned him the nickname ‘The Immortal’ from his team. In the same interview, he shared:

“[My training partners] said I never get tired. And also in my amateur fights, sometimes between the rounds, I would just go to my corner, grab some water, and visit my coach. Then after like 20 seconds, I would stand up in the middle of the ring to show that I’m ready to fight, and the audience loved it. So that’s why my friends gave me the nickname.”

On April 22, Eersel will unleash his alter ego once again to defend his world title for a fourth time at ONE: Eersel vs. Sadikovic. He will go up against German striker Arian Sadikovic in the main event of the card, which emanates from the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

Like Eersel, Sadikovic also has a nickname that reflects his personality. The 27-year-old challenger was dubbed ‘Game Over’ because his power-punching style typically ended any game plan his opponent may have against him.

In less than two weeks, we will find out if ‘Game Over’ can end a world title reign or if ‘The Immortal’ will live on as he always has.