“It’s not my target now” - Alexis Nicolas says he has no plans of challenging Regian Eersel for lightweight Muay Thai throne
Alexis Nicolas has no plans of jumping into another sport and chasing another piece of hardware.
The French striker did the unthinkable when he beat the seemingly invincible Regian Eersel for the ONE lightweight kickboxing world championship in the main event of ONE Fight Night 21 this past weekend.
Although he already has one of Eersel's world titles, the allure of going after another of the Surinamese superstar's second piece of gold doesn't intrigue Nicolas.
Alexis Nicolas said he has no plans of jumping into another sport and taking a shot at Eersel's ONE lightweight Muay Thai world title. He added he'd rather stay in kickboxing since a transition into Muay Thai would be a huge learning curve for him.
"It's not my target right now. I know he has a big advantage in Muay Thai because I'm from savate, it's another discipline, and I don't have elbows. But I worked hard everyday."
Nicolas, who came into the match with a 23-0 record, quickly brought the fight to Eersel in the opening round and aimed at the world champion's lead leg early on.
He found his breakthrough in the second round when he knocked Eersel down with a blinding two-punch combination.
Eersel tried to push the pressure in the final three rounds, but Nicolas' early knockdown and his work on the counter earned him the stunning unanimous decision win.
Not only did Nicolas claim the lightweight kickboxing throne, but he also snapped Eersel's eight-year, 22-fight winning streak.
Alexis Nicolas is ready to defend his throne against all challengers
Now that he's reached the pinnacle of his division, Alexis Nicolas knows the real work is about to begin.
The new ONE lightweight kickboxing king is aware of the huge target set on his back. Nevertheless, Nicolas wants to show the world why he deserves to sit on the throne.
Nicolas told ONE Championship commentator Mitch Chilson during his in-ring interview:
"I'm proud. I'm the king now. So everybody wants my crown, but I'm ready to defend"