“He had a big heart” - Alexis Nicolas praises Regian Eersel ahead of ONE Fight Night 25 rematch

Reigning and undisputed ONE lightweight kickboxing world champion Alexis Nicolas of France and bitter rival Regian Eersel of Suriname may be opponents in the ring, but the two share a mutual respect for one another. Nicolas, in particular, says he was impressed by Eersel's fighting spirit in their first encounter.

Speaking to ONE Championship in a recent interview, Nicolas shared his thoughts on Eersel ahead of their highly anticipated world title rematch tomorrow night.

'Barboza' said:

"He had a big heart. He also had excellent cardio. I expected him to punch harder, but his punches were very heavy. I was thinking he was taller too."

Nicolas dropped Eersel in their April 2024 main event showdown at ONE Fight Night 21 on Prime Video and then cruised to a unanimous decision on the judges' scorecards.

Now, the two are ready to run it back for the gold in what should be one of the most explosive rematches of the year.

Needless to say, it's going to be an epic battle between these two premier lightweights at the top of the division's food chain.

Alexis Nicolas to throw down with Regian Eersel in a much-anticipated do-over at ONE Fight Night 25 on Prime Video

Lightweight kickboxing king 'Barboza' Alexis Nicolas of France is ready to make the first defense of his world title against former divisional king 'The Immortal' Regian Eersel of Suriname.

The two lock horns at ONE Fight Night 25: Nicolas vs. Eersel II on Prime Video, which broadcasts live from the historic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand on Friday, Oct. 4.

Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all the action live and absolutely free with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.

Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the latest news and updates surrounding the event during fight week.