Regian Eersel knew he reclaimed lost gold from Alexis Nicolas before official decision was made: "I was scoring more points"
Regian Eersel knew victory was in his hands before the judges made it official at ONE Fight Night 25.
The Sityodtong Amsterdam athlete turned back the clock, bounced back into the winner's column, and reclaimed his ONE lightweight kickboxing world title on the October 4 bill inside the legendary Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Speaking on his confidence as in-Circle announcer Dom Lau relayed the judges' scorecards, Regian Eersel offered:
"Yes, yes, I already knew in the last [round] I was winning the fight. I was scoring more points."
Truthfully speaking, to think it wouldn't have gone his way would be quite the opinion.
Across the 15-minute tie, Eersel showcased why his ONE Fight Night 21 defeat this past April was nothing more than a temporary hiccup.
The Surinamese striking icon clocked the Mahmoudi Gym man from every direction, reminding him why he still sees himself as the only true king of the division.
By the end of the five-round scrap, there was only going to be one winner. And all three judges confirmed just that by awarding 'The Immortal' a unanimous decision victory.
North American fans with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription can catch the entire ONE Fight Night 25 card for free via replay.
What's next for Regian Eersel?
Back at the top of two divisions, Regian Eersel will have more hungry contenders who'd want to enjoy another Nicolas-esque moment.
Though there are no clear contenders to his kickboxing gold at the minute, a standout prospect in Muay Thai is ready to make headway in his bid for Muay Thai supremacy as and when the Surinamese fighter is due for a return.
Russian slugger Dmitry Menshikov wants another opportunity to run it back with the Sityodtong Amsterdam affiliate. And he's made a case for himself with three successive knockouts after being stung by Eersel's firepower in his promotional bow.
The Empire Club and Kuzbass Muay Thai striker picked up first-round finishes against Rungrawee Sitsongpeenong and Mouhcine Chafi. Most recently, the 26-year-old put away Sinsamut Klinmee deep into their lightweight Muay Thai fixture at ONE Fight Night 22.