"I will not forgive myself" - Cautious Regian Eersel won't allow one costly technical error to end his dominant reign
ONE lightweight Muay Thai and kickboxing world champion Regian Eersel has always adopted a meticulous approach to fighting.
'The Immortal' has been perfect in his 10 bouts in the world's largest martial arts organization by far, something he credits to his keen attention to the smallest detail.
After all, these seemingly small and insignificant things may very well blur the lines between winning and losing.
In a recent interview with ONE Championship, Eersel opened up about the perfectionist persona that has allowed him to separate himself from the pack.
The Surinamese superstar revealed he will humbly accept defeat if he one day faces an adversary who outperforms him inside the ONE ring. However, the 31-year-old admitted that he would be extremely hard on himself if he fell short because he somehow let his guard down.
The two-sport ONE world champion shared:
"If the opponent is better than me, then he has my respect. But if the mistake is on my side like I dropped my left hand or I hesitated because I wanted to do something, I will not forgive myself. That's why it's important to have people that you trust in your corner."
Regian Eersel's path to perfection continues this Friday, when he defends his lightweight kickboxing crown against Alexis Nicolas at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
ONE Fight Night 21 will air live in US primetime on April 5, free for existing Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.
Regian Eersel says he'll capitalize if Alexis Nicolas shows fear in his eyes
Another reason for Regian Eersel's global success is his ability to assess his opponents before they trade fists.
'The Immortal' says he's an uncanny judge of character and can sense fear and weakness with just one glance. The Sitydotong Amsterdam affiliate told ONE in the same interview:
"I will notice in the fight, and even before the fight. Because sometimes you see it in the eyes, the hesitation. So, I'm going to recognize it if he has it."