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Reigning ONE lightweight Muay Thai world champion and former lightweight kickboxing king 'The Immortal' Regian Eersel of Suriname and The Netherlands revealed that legendary Surinamese fighter Tyrone 'King of the Ring' Spong was one of his biggest inspirations growing up.
Spong had a massive influence on 'The Immortal', not only because he was an amazing kickboxer but also because he was relatable. In fact, Eersel says he grew up in the same neighborhood as Spong, who heavily influenced him to become a martial artist.
Speaking to MMA UK in a recent interview, Eersel had this to say about his fighting inspirations.
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'The Immortal' stated:
"One fighter that inspired me the most is Tyrone Spong. He's also from Suriname, and he's also from the same neighborhood that I grew up in. In in the past, I saw him walking around the neighborhood. I'm like, this is Tyrone Spong. And he also used to fight in the past of my weight, 70-75 kilos. You can say he made it, you know? And also stylistically, great techniques."
As for other inspirations, Eersel listed a couple more. He added:
"But if I have to choose a fighter in the past, aggression-wise, I choose Badr Hari. Technically, this one is difficult. Technically, I can choose between Tyrone Spong and Giorgio Petrosyan."
Regian Eersel rematches Alexis Nicolas to try to reclaim his gold at ONE Fight Night 25 on Prime Video
'The Immortal' Regian Eersel will attempt to regain his lost kickboxing belt when he takes on reigning ONE lightweight kickboxing world champion 'Barboza' Alexis Nicolas next weekend.
The two lock horns in the main event at ONE Fight Night 25: Nicolas vs. Eersel on Prime Video, which broadcasts live from the historic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday, October 4.
Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all the action live and absolutely free on Amazon Prime Video.
Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the latest news and updates surrounding the event.
