Former restaurant cook Regian Eersel can cook you dinner then cook you in the ring

Reigning ONE lightweight Muay Thai and kickboxing world champion ‘The Immortal’ Regian Eersel is no doubt one of the most skilled fighters in the world. He sits at the top of the food chain, in a division that is not bereft of talent.

But it hasn’t always been gold for Eersel, especially early in his career.

In a recent guest appearance on YouTube channel, Sensai Sam, Eersel recalled struggling financially while balancing his fighting career with his job at a restaurant. He shared the experience.

‘The Immortal’ said:

“This is a funny story. Seven years ago, I was looking for work, you know. Kickboxing money was good, but I need something to do during my free time. And I cannot sit at home all day, gaming, doing nothing, you know. So I was searching for work, I wrote a letter for a dishwasher job. So I was a dishwasher at a daycare, yeah, I was a dishwasher.”

Not long after, Eersel began to excel at his unlikely profession. He continued:

“Then one day, I was washing the dishes, and then the cook, the chef, told me like ‘Hey can you do something for me? Do something quick.’. And I said okay, I was like ‘I’m Surinamese, I can cook’. And then I just cooked, and the chef was like ‘oh you can cook?’. And I was like ‘Yes, of course, I can cook!’. And he said ‘Okay, okay, now I know’. Then like a week later, he was like ‘Can you do this, can you do that’. So he taught me how to cook, taught me a lot of other things, taught me how to cut and place my fingers properly so I don’t cut my fingers, little, little details. Then he gave me the books. I can see all the things on how to learn certain things. Then he said ‘You’re going to cook. Just leave the dishwasher, you’re going to cook, and earn a little bit more money’. But I don’t have a paper [diploma or degree], I earn more money because I can do it, you know.”

Eersel can continue his streak of success if he retains his belt in his next world title defense.

‘The Immortal’ Regian Eersel will stake his ONE lightweight Muay Thai world title in a battle against dangerous Russian Dmitry Menshikov at ONE Fight Night 11: Eersel vs. Menshikov on Prime Video.

The event broadcasts live from the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand on Friday, June 9, and will stream absolutely free to fans in the United States and Canada via Amazon Prime.