Regian Eersel Knocks Out Sinsamut Klinmee With Body Shot, Retains ONE Lightweight Muay Thai World Title
Two-sport ONE World Champion Regian Eersel capped off ONE Friday Fights 9 in highlight-reel fashion.
The Surinamese dynamo silenced Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on March 17, as he knocked out Thai hero Sinsamut Klinmee in the fourth round of their ONE Lightweight Muay Thai World Title rematch.
Like in their first encounter last October, Sinsamut put forth a valiant effort and pushed the defending titleholder to the limit. But “The Immortal” kept his cool throughout the battle and his showstopping body shot erased any doubts about who the divisional kingpin truly is.
Eersel and Sinsamut immediately traded strikes when the floodgates opened, but the challenger’s powerful leg kicks seemed to have stopped the Surinamese fighter in his tracks.
“The Immortal” continued to be on the receiving end of more kicks to the shin as round two started. Though his movement did slow down a little, the two-sport king stayed active in range, working behind his overhand left and straight rights. At times, he even threw a flying knee into the mix.
Eersel, however, found it hard to land anything significant as “Aquaman’s” effective footwork and head movement kept him just beyond the reach of his signature bout-ending weapons.
But in the third round, “The Immortal” began to concentrate on Sinsamut’s body with shovel hooks and kicks, which ultimately opened the door to what would unfold in the next frame.
As the action resumed in the fourth stanza, the Thai looked like he had his tank drained from all the shots Eersel had landed. The reigning titleholder, on the other hand, looked rather fresh and could seemingly sense that the finish was near.
Eersel stayed right in the center of Sinsamut’s attacks, waiting for his rival to make the first move. And when he picked up the bait and advanced into the Surinamese star’s danger zone, the 30-year-old unleashed a left body kick and then a hook right into the abdomen that instantly sent the Thai down to his knees.
Sinsamut wasn’t able to answer the 10-count, forcing the referee to hand “The Immortal” the win at 1:17 of round four. The KO also earned him a US$50,000 performance bonus from ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong.
With the victory, Eersel took his flawless promotional run to 9-0 and improved his career record to 60-4. By the looks of it, there may not be anyone who can stop the two-sport king’s reign at the top of the lightweight kickboxing and Muay Thai divisions.
