Regian Eersel believes Alexis Nicolas didn't do enough to merit a world title win: "You can't win from a champion like that"
Regian Eersel accepts that he was far from his best during his world title loss to Alexis Nicolas at ONE Fight Night 21 last month. However, 'The Immortal' thinks he still did enough to defend his ONE lightweight kickboxing gold.
The pair of warriors duked it out in the main event inside the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium last month in a five-round scrap that could have gone either way.
Nicolas did not back down whenever they stood toe-to-toe inside the pocket, bravely sending shots in the direction of the defending world champion. He even dropped him down with an overhand right in the second canto for the fight's only eight-count.
Despite the unfortunate event, the Sityodtong Amsterdam representative did well to find gaps within Nicolas' tight guard, tagging him with a couple of combinations through the championship rounds.
Unfortunately, when all was done and dusted, it was the unbeaten Frenchman who came out with the unanimous decision.
Reflecting on the fight during a chat with Sportskeeda MMA, Regian Eersel shared:
"I know what I did wrong. In my opinion, I didn't put enough pressure like I did normally, I did less. Yeah, and, of course, I got the eight-count in the second round. But then, when I look back on the fight, it was a very close fight. And, in my feeling, you can't win from a champion like that."
Watch the full interview here:
Alexis Nicolas over the moon after his world title win over Regian Eersel
While there is some disappointment on Regian Eersel's end, Alexis Nicolas couldn't hold back his feelings after becoming the first athlete to hand the Surinamese striker a defeat since March 2016.
With the ONE lightweight kickboxing world championship resting on his shoulder, the undefeated fighter had this to say during his in-ring interview with Mitch Chilson following his win:
"I'm proud. I'm the king now. So everybody wants my crown, but I'm ready to defend it."
Nicolas' victory over 'The Immortal' inside the Mecca of Muay Thai pushed his undefeated resume to 24-0. At the same time, he snapped Eersel's 22-bout winning streak and ended his reign as the divisional king.
North American fans with an active subscription can rewatch the entire ONE Fight Night 21 card for free via the free replay function on Amazon Prime Video.