Regian Eersel says coach paid his rent, motivated him to continue fighting: "Listen, you have so much talent"

Suriname martial arts hero Regian Eersel has revealed the moment his career nearly ended before it truly began, crediting his coach's belief and financial support for saving his martial arts journey.

The reigning ONE lightweight Muay Thai world champion faced his darkest period as a 19-year-old prospect, despite carrying an undefeated 7-0 professional record that masked his desperate financial situation.

"We had a long conversation. I told him I wanted to quit because there is no point for me [to train] anymore. I have no money, no fights, no income," Regian Eersel told ONE Championship.

The Sityodtong Amsterdam representative's crisis stemmed from management issues and canceled fights that left him without income for eight to nine months, despite maintaining his rigorous training schedule.

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'The Immortal's' breaking point came during a training session when the weight of his circumstances overwhelmed him, leading to an emotional breakdown that nearly ended his fighting career. However, his coaches, Paul and Vincent Pengel, instilled a positive mindset that took him out of that dark spell.

"He said, 'Listen, you have so much talent. The fights and the money will come. You just need to have patience.' He told me he'd pay my rent that month so I can train for the month. Then they were gonna look for a fight. My trainers motivated me and pushed me through the situation," Eersel continued.

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Regian Eersel eternally grateful for Paul and Vincent Pengel's guidance

The intervention from his coaches proved to be the turning point that transformed a desperate young fighter into a future world champion.

Their belief in his potential, backed by tangible financial support, allowed Regian Eersel to continue pursuing his dreams when everything seemed hopeless.

"Now we've been all around the world together. From that point on I started to fight international. And everything went sky high from there," the 32-year-old reflected.

He is now prepared to defend his Muay Thai crown against English bruiser George Jarvis in the main event of ONE Fight Night 34 on Friday, Aug. 1, inside Bangkok's legendary Lumpinee Stadium.

The entire card will be available live in U.S. primetime for free to active Amazon Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.

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Edited by Aziel Karthak