Two-sport ONE World Champion Regian Eersel continued to embody the nickname “The Immortal” when he took out Dmitry Menshikov this past weekend at ONE Fight Night 11.
The Surinamese star pushed his ONE Championship record to a perfect 10-0 at ONE Fight Night 11 on Friday, June 9, with a first-round knockout of the debuting Russian powerhouse.
Entering the night, Eersel could talk about little else than his legacy, and it is hard to deny him his spot in history following his win inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Boxing Stadium.
With his latest victory in the books, we take a look back at three of The Immortal’s performances that cement him as one of the pound-for-pound best strikers on the planet.
Sinsamut II
The inaugural battle for the ONE Lightweight Muay Thai World Championship was closely contested between Regian Eersel and Sinsamut Klinmee last October, so much so that an immediate rematch was ordered.
Sinsamut put his experience in Muay Thai to good use in the first two rounds of their second meeting at ONE Friday Fights 9 in March.
His strong leg kicks kept Eersel at bay, and the Thai star looked to be up two rounds on the reigning king when the bell for the third rang.
But Eersel’s intelligence and ability to adapt soon shun through. In the third frame, he began working the body of his rival, which drained Sinsamut as the bout wore on.
By the time the fourth round began, he was a sitting duck for the two-sport king.
After backing Sinsamut near the corner, Eersel crashed a left hook into his damaged body that dropped him t the canvas, where he stayed.
The comeback win proved “The Immortal” could take power shots in the small gloves, overcome early setbacks, and still end with show-stopping power.
Nieky Holzken II
Eersel defeated Nieky Holzken in their first battle in May 2019, but the unanimous decision victory wasn’t enough to convince fans that he was the better man.
Thus, they met again four months later. Despite it going to the judges’s table once more, “The Immortal” left no one in doubt with a dominant five-round showing.
In the opening round, the Surinamese star dropped Holzken with a stiff left hand. The Dutch striking legend answered that call quickly, but he couldn’t even the score from there.
As the bout drew on, Eersel took even more control. As is customary with his endless cardio, “The Immortal” pulled away from Holzken and kept his defenses tight anytime his foe would attempt to steal the bout with a late surge.
It was a commanding performance from Eersel, as he showed no complacency, only superiority.
Dmitry Menshikov
Eersel’s latest showing on the global stage was one of the most impressive of his storied career, and it was all over in less than a minute.
Menshikov entered the bout at ONE Fight Night 11 with a reputation as one of the most-feared strikers on the planet, but “The Immortal” made short work of him to continue his charge atop the ONE lightweight Muay Thai moutain.
A wide left hook thrown by Eersel connected with the top of Menshikov’s head just 46 seconds into the World Title affair, sending him stumbling to the canvas.
Although the Russian attempted to stand and answer the referee’s count, he was clearly on rubber legs, and this caused the referee to bring an end to the action.
Muay Thai changes in four-ounce gloves, and Eersel showed that in abundance with his latest win.
As he focuses on his legacy, this epic 46-second knockout will go right to the top of “The Immortal’s” highlight reel.