“I have to stay the champ” - Alexis Nicolas hell-bent on retaining his throne against former two-sport champ Regian Eersel

ONE lightweight kickboxing world champion Alexis Nicolas seeks to take his ONE Championship journey to even greater heights and wants to double up on former two-sport world champion Regian Eersel in their title rematch next month.

'Barboza' will be defending the lightweight belt against 'The Immortal,' from whom he took the title last time around, at ONE Fight Night 25 on Oct. 4 at the famed Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

Speaking to ONE Championship ahead of his scheduled return to action, Alexis Nicholas shared his frame of mind not only for his rematch with Eersel but also for his career moving forward.

The 26-year-old Frenchman said:

"I'm only 26 and I'm already the champ. I have to stay the champ. You know, life is full of ups and downs. So I need to punch my way to wins, get bonus, get more money, be more famous, and win over fans and everybody. Then, everything will be good for me."

Alexis Nicolas ascended to the throne after he defeated Eersel by decision back in April in their title clash. He did it with steady dominance, leaving the Surinamese-Dutch fighter unable to make his game fully take off. It was his second straight in ONE after making his promotional debut in January this year.

Meanwhile, the defeat was the first for Eersel in ONE and saw him lose the lightweight kickboxing world title after successfully defending it four times previously.

ONE Fight Night 25: Nicolas-Eersel II will air live and for free to North American fans with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.

---

Alexis Nicolas hopes to have ONE play France at some point

ONE Championship is continuously on the lookout for the next destination to take its world-class martial arts action, and Alexis Nicolas is hoping that among them is his home country of France. He said that if possible, he also wants to headline it.

The reigning ONE lightweight kickboxing world champion made this known in an interview with the promotion, relaying how, as a proud Frenchman, it will be an honor to be the face of the "Home of Martial Arts" in France.

He said:

"My dream is to bring ONE Championship to France. To bring ONE Championship to France, it's a big dream for me, and if I can put it on my shoulders, I want to."

Until the day comes when ONE plays France, however, Alexis Nicolas said he will continue his campaign in his promotion to the best of his abilities, starting with his title rematch against Regian Eersel at ONE Fight Night 25 on Oct. 4 in Thailand.