“It was no surprise that I lost” - Regian Eersel says he has come to terms with Alexis Nicolas defeat ahead of rematch

Regian Eerself believes he did enough to leave ONE Fight Night 21 with his ONE lightweight kickboxing world championship. Unfortunately, the judges did not agree.

Both his 26 pounds of gold and an eight-year unbeaten streak on the line that evening. However, 'The Immortal' suffered a stunning upset in the evening's headliner, surrendering his kickboxing crown to undefeated French standout Alexis Nicolas.

Seven months later, the two are set to run it back on Friday, October 4 when ONE Championship heads back to the legendary Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, for a loaded ONE Fight Night 25.

Looking back on their five-round instant classic during a recent interview with ChampTalksTV, Regian Eersel still thinks he won the bout but was not at all surprised to leave the Mecca of Muay Thai with one of his two ONE world titles.

"I thought I [won]. But, you know, I’m skeptical about my performance. So, it was no surprise that I lost. I could do better. But, in my opinion, you cannot win from a champion like that."

Eersel still holds the ONE lightweight Muay Thai world title, but he'll look to once again become a two-sport star in The Land of Smiles.

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Alexis Nicolas ready to deliver a repeat performance in Regian Eersel rematch

Of course, Alexis Nicolas has no intention of allowing that to happen.

Boasting an impressive 24-0 record, 'Barboza' shocked the world at ONE Fight Night 21. Determined to do it again, Nicolas is leaving no stone unturned as he puts in work at the iconic Phuket Fight Club gym in Thailand.

"I've set everything up for this fight camp to ensure the preparation for the next fight goes smoothly," Nicolas said during an interview with the gym. "Leo and Gabriel are handling the boxing, which is really great. I'm managing the tactics and strategy."

Who comes out on top when two of the most exciting kickboxers on the planet collide in a can't-miss rematch?

ONE Fight Night 25 will air live via Amazon Prime Video in the United States and Canada on Friday, October 4 in U.S. primetime.