On Friday, April 4, Regian Eersel and Alexis Nicolas will run it back for a third time. Nicolas will attempt to reclaim the ONE Lightweight Kickboxing World Title at ONE Fight Night 30. The co-main event has all of the makings for another classic meeting between the two.
Regian Eersel Looking to Claim Second Over Alexis Nicolas Friday
Unsurprisingly, both men are confident heading into the encounter. Nicolas’ upset in their first meeting gave Eersel his first loss on the global stage. The loss served as needed motivation that Regian Eersel employed in their rematch.
“I was undefeated for eight years. And yet, honestly, I lost the fire because it became normal. You know, you have a fight, you win, you have another fight. So, it becomes normal. And I think by losing to Alexis, I regained the fire because, yeah, I lost. It’s part of the job, of course. But for me, it was years that I didn’t lose a fight. So, for me, it was good to have a loss,” Regian Eersel said to ONE.
Regian Eersel Still Facing High Stakes Even Though He’s No Longer Champ
While Eersel lost the belt on the scale, he still has much to compete for in Bangkok. Winning gives him the series victory, asserting dominance over Nicolas. It will prove the first match was an aberration and he is very much still at the top of his game.
“A win in this trilogy means to me that I can end this, once and for all. I hope I can open a new chapter in my career, and we will go forward from there. I am preparing myself for the five rounds. But when I have the chance to finish him, you will see a sleeping Nicolas,” Regian Eersel stated.
Alexis Nicolas Hungry to Become New Champion After Regian Eersel Stripped of Belt Thursday
Nicolas has the confidence he can defeat Regian Eersel because he has done it before. It is something nobody else has in ONE. After two barnburners with the Surinamese striker, Nicolas feels he can etch his own place in history by taking the trilogy.
“Eersel’s a very good fighter. Everybody says and knows that Eersel’s a legend. I’m starting to become a legend, too. So, now, this fight should be legendary. Our two fights were crazy, maybe the best of 2024. It’s always a pleasure to give this kind of fight for the fans,” Nicolas commented.
Alexis Nicolas Goes Into Film Room to Dissect Miscues From Last Bout vs. Regian Eersel
In preparing for the trilogy, Nicolas watched what went wrong in the second meeting. Part of what he saw was a lack of confidence that he had during the initial collision. Seeing that has allowed him to make changes ahead of ONE Fight Night 30 and enter with the passion he had when he was chasing “The Immortal”.
“Going into the rematch as the defending champion, it was different for me. I didn’t get the same fire in my heart. When I watch the rematch, I’m not confident in the same way that I was in the first fight. When I look at my eyes, I know that I’m not the same guy. Eersel was the best version of himself during the second fight, but I was not,” Nicolas offered.
ONE Fight Night 30 airs live on Prime Video on Friday, April 4. The action begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The event is free for all Amazon Prime subscribers based in the U.S. and Canada.
