“The details are different” - Regian Eersel says game plan against Alexis Nicolas will be brand new

Former ONE lightweight kickboxing world champion Regian Eersel said for his scheduled rematch next month with reigning divisional king Alexis Nicolas, he will be having a different strategy.

'The Immortal' will take on 'Barboza' once again in the headlining contest for ONE Fight Night 25 on Oct. 4 at the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. He will try to reclaim the lightweight kickboxing gold he lost by decision in their first encounter back in April.

In an interview with MMA UK, which was uploaded on Sept. 12, he shared how his preparation been like in his redemption push, highlighting that while the routine may not be too different, they are, however, crafting a different game plan for the rematch.

He said:

"No, I don't train differently. The training schedule is still the same. But the way I train in the schedule is a little bit different, because for each opponent, you have a different strategy, of course, and the strategy for this rematch is going to be way different than the strategy when I fought (Alexis) the first time. My training schedule stays the same, but the way I train, the details are different."

Watch the interview below:

Regian Eersel lost the lightweight kickboxing belt to Nicolas but not after putting up a gallant stand. It effectively ended his reign after successfully defending the world title four times previously.

ONE Fight Night 25: Nicolas vs. Eersel II will be broadcast over Amazon Prime Video for North American fans.

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Regian Eersel admits Alexis Nicolas had a solid game plan in their first encounter

Regian Eersel was disappointed for losing the ONE lightweight kickboxing world title to Alexis Nicolas in their first enounter back in April but nonetheless gave the Frenchman credit for coming up with an effective game plan that served as a perfect foil to him.

The Surinamese fighter, who is still the lightweight Muay Thai champion, broke down what took place between him and Nicolas at ONE Fight Night 21 on April 5 in an interview on STVS Suriname. He underscored that the steady kicks of 'Barboza' took a toll on him and prevented him from really getting his game going en route to losing by unanimous decision and being dethroned.

He said:

"I didn't underestimate him at all. I also have to say that his calf kicks were good. It kept on hitting me. I lost my balance a bit and, of cousre, I also felt some pain. That's why I couldn't really get into my game."

Regian Eersel encountered early trouble against Nicoals in their first meeting, even sent to the canvas in the second round with an overhand right. He is now looking to have a better start in their rematch at ONE Fight Night 25 on Oct. 4.