Russian striker Dmitry Menshikov will make his debut in ONE Championship on June 9, and he plans to do it in grand fashion. Menshikov is set to challenge Regian “The Immortal” Eersel for the ONE Lightweight Muay Thai World Championship in the main event of ONE Fight Night 11 on Prime Video inside the hallowed halls of the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, and he is well aware of the reputation his foe has.
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“The Immortal” has been perfect in his nine outings in ONE Championship, and he currently rides a jaw-dropping 21-fight winning streak that dates back seven years and includes him claiming the ONE Lightweight Muay Thai and Kickboxing World Titles.
Dmitry Menshikov didn’t see anything extraordinary in Regian Eersel
While he recognizes the skills of his first opponent on ONE’s global stage, Menshikov isn’t worried about the dangers he might face on June 9. “I consider [Eersel] one of the best fighters in the world. I think he has already proved it by taking the belt in kickboxing in such an organization as ONE Championship. As well as in Muay Thai. And [he did it] despite the fact he is a basic kickboxer,” the 25-year-old told ONE Championship.
“In my career, I have met top and very strong fighters, and I don’t think Eersel is any better or stronger than them. He is just a fighter like all the rest. I don’t see anything special about him.”
Riding an overall 11-fight winning streak, Menshikov believes he has all the necessary skills to snatch Eersel’s lightweight Muay Thai crown and hand him his first promotional loss.
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Dmitry Menshikov intended to snatch Regian Eersel’s titles and hold them with him
He doesn’t want to rest after he does that, though, as he plans to take “The Immortal’s” other World Title, too, and etch his name alongside his rival as the latest two-sport ONE World Champion.
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“I want to take the belt both in Muay Thai and kickboxing. I want to deprive him of all his titles and take them for myself. This will be a huge victory for myself, my family, and my city,” Menshikov said. “But I’m not going to stop there. I will have to defend these belts. I will have to train more, work harder, and also take belts in other weight classes as well.”