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Former two-sport king Regian Eersel isn't sure newcomer Alexis Nicolas did enough to justify having his hand raised. The Frenchman won their razor-close scrap at ONE Fight Night 21.
Eersel entered the bout as both the ONE lightweight kickboxing and Muay Thai world champion. By night's end, 'The Immortal' was left with one less belt as 25-year-old Alexis Nicolas earned a unanimous decision victory — taking the kickboxing crown from Eersel in the process.
Immediately looking back on the fight, Eersel was left unconvinced that 'Barboza' had done enough to come out on top inside the legendary Lumpinee Boxing Stadium, telling Sportskeeda MMA:
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"I looked back at the fight on the same day and I was thinking it was a very close fight," Eersel said. "You can see it also in the scorecards. In my feeling, you can’t win [over] a champion like that, [in that way]."
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See the full interview below:
Regian Eersel's comments harken back to a long-thought theory in combat sports that to become a world champion, you have to defeat a world champion convincingly.
Unfortunately, that's simply not the way scoring works.
Alexis Nicolas ready to take on all comers following stunning win against Regian Eersel
Immediately following his stunning win over Regian Eersel in April, Alexis Nicolas made it clear that he is the new king of the lightweight kickboxing division and that he will be fully prepared to take on all comers:
"I'm proud. I'm the king now," Nicolas told Mitch Chilson in his post-fight interview. "So everybody wants my crown, but I'm ready to defend."
Though no official announcements have been made, there is a strong possibility that Nicolas' first defense will come against the former champion — Regian Eersel.
Immediate rematches are far from guaranteed in ONE Championship, but given Eersel's status as one of the most dominant fighters in the promotion, it certainly makes sense for 'The Immortal' to be given that opportunity.
