"I will defend it for a long time" - Alexis Nicolas envisions a long reign as ONE lightweight kickboxing king
French striking standout Alexis Nicolas hopes to continue his reign as the ONE lightweight kickboxing world champion for as long as he can.
The 25-year-old athlete did what every fighter failed to do against Regian Eersel in the main event of ONE Fight Night 21 – put an end to 'The Immortal's' perfect slate under the promotional banner.
Shortly after his victorious outing, Alexis Nicolas told Sportskeeda MMA:
"Thank you, fans. Thank you to the people who just discovered me today. I hope you enjoyed this fight. I'm not even in my prime. I want to show you that this is just my first fight for the belt, and I will defend it for a long time."
Watch the full interview here:
'Barboza' locked horns with the Surinamese athlete inside the sold-out Lumpinee Boxing Stadium audience on April 5 with only attack on his mind.
The Parisian striker had the most telling moments throughout the 15-minute scrap, even dropping Eersel, who looked rather less immortal, for the first time on the global stage.
The Mahmoudi Gym standout continued to fend off Eersel in the championship rounds to ensure he achieved his mission to become a ONE world champion.
Ultimately, his display convinced all three judges scoring at ringside to award him the victory that improved his undefeated record to 24-0.
Alexis Nicolas doesn't have his eyes locked on Eersel's Muay Thai crown
With confidence in his armor, many expect Alexis Nicolas to attempt two-sport world championship status against Eersel.
However, the French striking superstar wants to gain a foothold in his kickboxing division before he dreams of venturing into the Muay Thai realm.
During the ONE Fight Night 21 post-event press conference, the 25-year-old shared:
"It's not my target. I want to defend my belt for the first time, and we'll see after."
Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all the action from ONE Fight Night 21 via replay on-demand with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.