"I'm something special and it is my year" - 'Confident' Alexis Nicolas ready to continue magical run at ONE Fight Night 25
ONE lightweight kickboxing world champion Alexis Nicolas isn't short of confidence as he heads into the most important fight of his career.
'Barboza' joined the world's largest martial arts organization, riding on an impressive 22-0 record. His pair of displays on the global stage have gone on to showcase that he has been a bang for their buck.
In an interview with ONE Championship, the 26-year-old Frenchman had this to say about his run and what keeps him one step ahead of his competition:
"What made me so confident? I'm a special fighter. I'm a special man. I'm different. You know, when I go in the ring, I'm something special and it is my year. It's my destiny. I have to become the world champ, ONE Championship world champ. And now I am."
After dominating Magomed Magomedov in his debut, the French striking specialist was locked in for a world title showdown with two-sport ONE world champion Regian Eersel in the main event of ONE Fight Night 21. 'The Immortal' carried a 22-fight win streak and a lengthy unbeaten run that stretched over five years.
Obviously, the odds were heavily stacked against him. But he didn't show any signs of cracking under the pressure as he bested the Surinamese icon over five rounds to claim the coveted 26 pounds of gold.
Now, in under a week, Alexis Nicolas returns to the hallowed grounds of the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. He seeks to repeat history against Eersel in the headline attraction of ONE Fight Night 25 on Oct. 4.
Alexis Nicolas believes the odds will be split between him and Regian Eersel in rematch
While not lacking any self-esteem, Alexis Nicolas knows he'll have his hands full against Regian Eersel, who aims to complete his comeback arc in style.
With that in mind, the Mahmoudi Gym affiliate believes he cannot assume that he'll have one hand on the prize.
Speaking exclusively to Sportskeeda MMA, he noted:
"It's anybody's game. It's going to be a crazy fight, and a lot of hype going into this match."
North American fans with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription can catch the entire ONE Fight Night 25 card live in U.S. primetime for free.