"He has to fight me for revenge" - Alexis Nicolas knows what's at stake for 'legend' Regian Eersel in ONE Fight Night 25 redo
ONE lightweight kickboxing world champion Alexis Nicolas knows how important his upcoming world title matchup against Regian Eersel is for him and his dance partner. The two cross paths on martial arts' biggest platform again in the main event of ONE Fight Night 25.
Unlike the first fixture, which the Frenchman won via unanimous decision, the target will now be on 'Barboza's' back as his recently acquired crown will be on the line inside the iconic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Speaking on the significance of this world title tilt, the Mahmoudi Gym martial artist told the South China Morning Post (SCMP):
"Yeah, I won the first fight. He's a legend. But now he has to fight me for revenge."
Watch Alexis Nicolas' interview with SCMP here:
Alexis Nicolas' motivation is second to none ahead of Regian Eersel sequel
While taking his rivalry with 'The Immortal' to 2-0 would be a tall order given how complete and dangerous the ONE lightweight Muay Thai world champion always is, the undefeated 26-year-old says he packs the same confidence as he did in their first encounter at ONE Fight Night 21 heading into this rematch.
With the mental aspect sorted, Alexis Nicolas has been on the grind on the mats, with his dedication and motivation at its peak. Now, he's ready for a chance to repeat history when ONE Fight Night 25 commences.
In an interview with the promotion, the Paris-based fighter added:
"We came into training camp, and we worked on this [my style of fighting] a lot. I was confident about this one. I knew I worked hard on this. For courage, I always tell or I say every time, courage is unlimited. I work hard in my preparation. I run a lot. I did a lot of intervals, so I'm ready."
Active Amazon Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada can catch the entire ONE Fight Night 25 card live in U.S. primetime for free this Friday, October 4.