“I was already the champ in my head” - Alexis Nicolas looks back on his big win over Regian Eersel
Alexis Nicolas, who made a shocking upset over Regian Eersel to claim the ONE lightweight kickboxing world title, had always considered himself the champion, even before their first clash started.
Now, as the world's largest martial arts organization returns to Bangkok's iconic Lumpinee Stadium on October 4, Nicolas will be going head-to-head with Eersel once again in the main event of ONE Fight Night 25.
The world title rematch serves as an opportunity for 'Barboza' to cement his position as the best lightweight striker in the organization. Still, his opponent is definitely not going to give an easy night for him.
Nonetheless, the French striker told ONE Championship about what he felt during their first meeting in a recent interview ahead of this crucial rematch.
Nicolas said:
"So I was really confident. Also, I felt that Eersel wasn’t confident in himself, so it was okay. I was already the champ in my head even before my hand was raised."
Clearly, he will bring that same confidence into this barnburner main event, which will be airing live in U.S. primetime. North American fans can tune in free of charge with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.
Alexis Nicolas wants to stay active with ONE Championship
With the success of claiming the ONE world title belt in his promotional debut, Alexis Nicolas wants to be one of the promotion's most active fighters. The French striker got his wish, but he must defend his title against his old rival, Regian Eersel, at ONE Fight Night 25 on Oct. 4.
And, ahead of their highly anticipated rematch, Nicolas spoke to the promotion about his desire to keep on fighting in the biggest stage on the planet.
'Barboza' said:
“I just want to fight. Like, if I can fight every three months, I’ll fight every three months. If I can fight more, I’m ready. Kickboxing is my life, so I don’t want to just be a superstar. I want to be a super fighter."
If Alexis Nicolas can secure another victory over Eersel, the undefeated striker will most likely get his wish sooner rather than later.