ONE Lightweight Muay Thai World Champion Regian Eersel has predicted that challenger George Jarvis will mentally crumble during the championship rounds of their title fight at ONE Fight Night 34 on 2 August.
The 32-year-old defending king believes his opponent lacks the mental preparation necessary for five-round championship competition at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
"Mentally, maybe he's not ready for the five rounds. He only fought three rounds in ONE Championship. So in the championship rounds, I think he will break. I'm gonna see how bad he wants it. I'm just gonna let him feel my energy and pressure," Eersel stated.
The title defense marks a historic clash between two fighters who have never been knocked out in their entire careers.
Eersel will make his third title defense against Jarvis, who rides a four-fight winning streak and seeks to become only the second ONE Lightweight Muay Thai World Champion in history.
Eersel captured the inaugural title in October 2022 with a split decision victory over Thai knockout artist Sinsamut Klinmee, adding to his legacy as a six-time ONE Lightweight Kickboxing World Champion.
The Dutch-Surinamese fighter from Sityodtong Amsterdam acknowledged the unique challenge posed by the Lumpini Crawley representative while emphasizing his experience advantage.
"He's never faced someone like me, but that's also the same for me. I never fought someone like him. But you will know why I'm still the champion. That's why I said there's levels to this game," Eersel explained.
The experience gap between the fighters could prove decisive, with Jarvis having competed exclusively in three-round contests during his ONE tenure while Eersel has extensive five-round title fight experience.
ONE Fight Night 34 will be broadcast live on JioHotstar and Star Sports Select 2 at 6:30 a.m. IST on Saturday, 2 August.
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