ONE Championship: “A full five-round war”

ONE lightweight Muay Thai world champion Regian Eersel has never once walked into a fight thinking the easy way out is an option.

The 33-year-old Suriname martial arts icon challenges Rungrawee ‘Legatron’ Sitsongpeenong for the vacant ONE lightweight kickboxing world title in the headline attraction of The Inner Circle Fights on Friday, April 10.

The temptation to look past a five-round world title fight and dream of a first-round knockout is one that lesser champions fall into.

Regian Eersel has never operated that way. A decade of elite-level competition has taught him that complacency — even optimistic complacency — is the fastest route to a bad night.

His mentality heading into every fight has always been the same: prepare for the worst version of the battle and trust that the work will carry him through it.

Speaking to ONE Championship ahead of their scheduled five-round fixture inside Bangkok’s revered Lumpinee Stadium, ‘The Immortal’ made his expectations for the night absolutely clear.

“In my mind, I always think we’re going to fight five rounds. Always. I’m not going to think, ‘Oh, I’m going to beat him in the first round or the second round.’ No. If I see the opening, I will go for it, of course,” the Amsterdam-based martial artist told the promotion.

“But I don’t expect a knockout. I expect a full five-round war, a technical war between me and Rungrawee,” he added.

Two-sport world title glory on the cards for Regian Eersel at The Inner Circle

That clarity of mindset is what makes Regian Eersel so difficult to upset.

He never overcommits, never chases the highlight, and never lets the occasion pull him away from his game plan.

Rungrawee presents a genuine challenge that reinforces that mindset, though.

A 158-48 career record, a fight-defining left kick, and the composure of a seasoned veteran who is comfortable in deep waters make the Thai striking specialist the kind of opponent who demands absolute respect across all five rounds.

But, as Eersel mentioned above, if the opening presents itself, he will take it. If it doesn’t, he has the conditioning, the volume, and the tactical IQ to grind through five rounds and take the decision.

Either way, ‘Legatron’ should be in for a long night in this main event showdown at The Inner Circle on April 10.