“That’s a life lesson” - Regian Eersel owns up to losing his lightweight kickboxing belt on the scales

Regian Eersel did not offer any excuses after he lost the ONE lightweight kickboxing world title on the scales. He said it was a lesson learned moving forward.

'The Immortal' was supposed to defend the kickboxing belt at ONE Fight Night 30: Kryklia vs. Knowles on Prime Video on April 4 against French rival Alexis Nicolas. He, however, missed weight and failed the hydration test during the official weigh-ins, leading to him being stripped of the championship belt.

The title match still pushed through though, with Nicolas the lone fighter eligible to win the title in the event of a victory. Unfortunately for 'Barboza,' Eersel did not allow him to emerge triumphant, scoring a win by majority decision in their clash held at the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

During the in-ring interview session with ONE commentator Mitch Chilson following his victory, Eersel addressed losing his title on the scales, owning up to it and vowed to do better next time around.

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The 32-year-old Sityodtong Amsterdam standout said:

"As people know, I failed the weight and hydration test. I did everything I could, but you know, these things happen in life. It’s a setback. But we overcome that, and that’s a life lesson."

The win was the 12th in 13 matches for Regian Eersel in ONE Championship while taking the lead in his head-to-head matchup with Nicolas to 2-1.

The full replay of ONE Fight Night 30: Kyrklia vs. Knowles is available on demand for Prime Video subscribers in North America.

Regian Eersel looks to defend lightweight Muay Thai belt

While he lost the kickboxing belt on the scales, Regian Eersel remained a ONE world champion as he also holds the lightweight Muay Thai world title. It is something he looks to defend in his next fight if given the opportunity.

He spoke about it in the lead-up to his recent match at ONE Fight Night 30, citing his desire to strike a balance between competing in kickboxing and Muay Thai.

Regian Eersel said:

"It depends on the organization. I already said I want to defend my Muay Thai belt. But I think they found the third fight with Alexis more important than me defending my Muay Thai belt. So, I think probably in August I’d defend my Muay Thai belt. I’d ask ONE Championship again because I want to stay active in both divisions."

Eersel became ONE lightweight Muay Thai world champion in October 2022 and has successfully defended it twice.

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A graduate of the University of the Philippines with a degree in English Studies, basketball caught Michael's imagination from an early age. Varsity basketball helped Michael to express himself, and later, it opened doors into the world of journalism.

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Edited by Tejas Rathi