Now that Alexis Nicolas has reached the pinnacle, he doesn't plan to take a step backward anytime soon. The ONE lightweight kickboxing world champion wants to continue reigning at the top of the division and accumulate more success.
To do that, he will need to defeat Regian Eersel for a second time after shocking the world by dethroning the champion earlier this year. The two men will meet again in the main event of ONE Fight Night 25 on October 4 at Lumpinee Stadium.
Rather than feeling like he has already accomplished his goal, Nicolas spoke about his motivation ahead of this massively anticipated rematch. In an interview with ONE Championship, he spoke about his goals for this title reign:
"A lot of fights, a lot of winning, a lot of KOs, and of course, a lot of money because I need to build my empire to make my family and me safe. I want to become a superstar. I want to be appreciated by ONE Championship fans."
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Alexis Nicolas cannot afford to overlook Regian Eersel
There is a lot for Alexis Nicolas to be excited about, but none of that is coming his way if he can't remain the champion. The underdog secured the victory against Eersel the first time around at ONE Fight Night 21, but even then, the fight was very close.
His second-round knockdown ended up swaying the fight in his favor, but you can be sure that Eersel will come back with a vengeance.
We will find out whether the former champ's previous reign continues or whether a new era has begun for the lightweight kickboxing division.
ONE Fight Night 25 will air live in US primetime free of charge for Prime Video subscribers in North America