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Alexis Nicolas is coming off a defeat to Regian Eersel in their last fight. He, however, said he put it to good use, tapping on it as further motivation to grow as a martial artist, the result of which he is looking to showcase in their trilogy match this week.
'Barboza' is set to take on 'The Immortal' for the third time in just a year for the ONE lightweight kickboxing world title at ONE Fight Night 30: Kryklia vs. Knowles on April 4 at the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
The title match though has been reconfigured, with him the lone fighter eligible to win the belt after Eersel was stripped of the world title he was supposed to defend on fight night for failing weight and hydration tests at the official weigh-ins.
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In an interview with combat sports journalist Nick Atkin, Alexis Nicolas shared how he is coming into ONE Fight Night 30 a "changed" fighter, saying:
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"It will be ‘and new’ and [it will be] for a long time. It’s just not a new champion, but a new man. And the new man is me - reborn like a phoenix and that’s why I did this haircut. I’m not here to be beautiful, to be pretty, I just want to activate beast mode."
Alexis Nicolas took the ONE lightweight kickboxing world title from Eersel in their first encounter in April last year by decision. He, however, lost by decision to his rival in their rematch back in October.
The defeat was the first for Nicolas in 17 professional fights, and the first in three matches in ONE Championship.
ONE Fight Night 30: Kryklia vs. Knowles is available for free to North American fans with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.
Alexis Nicolas touts trilogy match with Regian Eersel a must-see offering
Considering how competitive their first two matches went, Alexis Nicolas said his trilogy match with Regian Eersel is another legendary encounter and a must-see fare for fight fans.
He shared this in an interview with ONE Championship, citing that given his history with his rival, a barnburner is in the offing at ONE Fight Night 30.
The French striker said:
"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."
Eersel-Nicolas III is the co-headlining match at ONE Fight Night 30, which is bannered by the heavyweight Muay Thai championship fight between reigning champion Roman Kryklia of Ukraine and challenger Lyndon Knowles of the United Kingdom.
