"He wasn't ready for this" - Alexis Nicolas claims Regian Eersel wasn't prepared for his heat in epic Lumpinee headliner
Regardless of what else happens in his career, Alexis Nicolas will always have the moment when he shocked the world.
At ONE Friday Fights 58, he was up against the odds in just his second fight under the ONE Championship banner.
The undefeated contender looked to test himself against the best in the world when he faced ONE lightweight kickboxing world champion Regian Eersel.
Nicolas secured a historic upset on April 5 as he was able to keep pace with the dominant world champion, assert his game plan, and secure a crucial knockdown in the second round.
The champion reflected on the fight in his press conference interview after the bout, where he said that he could feel the momentum shift in the fight.
He told the media that after the first round, he really started going to work and putting his foot down:
"Yeah, yeah. I was feeling it because after the first round, I worked hard, and that was the feel. I was feeling it. Because after the first round, I worked hard. That was the game plan, the calf kick was the strategy and I saw he wasn't ready for this."
Watch the full press conference below:
Alexis Nicolas won't forget this night in a hurry
Alexis Nicolas was so underestimated in this fight because of the sheer pedigree that Regian Eersel brings to the table as a former two-sport world champion.
'The Immortal' hadn't tasted defeat in a long time, but up against Nicolas, he may have finally found his match.
The challenger ticked a lot of boxes on fight night that up until they happened, were big question marks hanging over this fight.
He clearly had the size, speed, and power to cause the divisional king some problems but most importantly, he fought smart.
After all, the world champion is a master of controlling fights and while Eersel had his moments, it was Alexis Nicolas who emerged from the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium with the gold.
ONE Fight Night 21 is available to watch back in full via the free on-demand replay for North American viewers with an active Prime Video subscription.