Alexis Nicolas Vs. Regian Eersel: 4 Keys To Victory In ONE Lightweight Kickboxing World Title Rematch
After a thrilling first encounter, Alexis “Barboza” Nicolas and Regian “The Immortal” Eersel are ready to duke it out again in the main event of ONE Fight Night 25 on Prime Video.
Nicolas shocked the combat sports world when he ended the Surinamese star’s dominant run to claim the ONE Lightweight Kickboxing World Title in April, but Eersel wants redemption in their rematch live in U.S. primetime this Friday, October 4.
Their first five-round clash delivered action and excitement from start to finish, with an early knockdown the only thing separating them. Now fans can’t wait to see how things play out in the return leg at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
More familiar with each other’s skill sets than ever before, this matchup could be even more closely contested. That said, here are Nicolas and Eersel’s keys to victory ahead of their second meeting.
Nicolas’ Low Kicks
Nicolas laid his foundations with a heavy low kick assault in the opening round of their initial clash.
“Barboza” landed 25 significant low kicks in the first three minutes and 53 overall, adding plenty of points to his scorecards and accruing significant damage on his foe.
By making sure to attack the lead leg every time Eersel stepped in to punch, the Frenchman managed to stem the flow of strikes and keep “The Immortal” at bay.
The low kicks disrupted Eersel’s attacks and often knocked him off balance, meaning his combinations weren’t as effective.
As Nicolas took his foot off the gas with this line of offense, the former king grew stronger and dictated more of the action. So, “Barboza” should keep going to the well with them throughout all five rounds this time around.
Eersel’s Relentless Pressure
Eersel’s best moments in the first fight came when he was able to close the distance and start unleashing his volleys of punches.
Though it took him some time to break through, the Sityodtong Amsterdam man grew in volume and confidence to make things extremely close by the end of the final frame.
By putting Nicolas on the back foot this time, “The Immortal” will limit his rival’s ability to land low kicks and present more opportunities to land his big shots.
Eersel’s combination striking is hard to keep up with, and his conditioning means he can continue to push the pace – something Nicolas struggled with in the first match.
But “The Immortal” can’t be reckless as he charges in because he now knows his foe packs serious power in his hands.
Nicolas’ Counters
Few can handle Eersel on a tear, but Nicolas had success when he stood his ground and believed in his counters.
“Barboza’s” chin never faltered and in round two he planted his feet and replied to a jab with a crunching overhand right that put the dominant lightweight king on the canvas.
Again, this is another tool that Nicolas could use in the rematch to make “The Immortal” think twice about blitzing forward in his usual marauding style.
Although it’s not wise to stand in front of his rival all of the time, if Barboza can mix in heavy counters with lateral movement and some savvy ringcraft, he’ll be able to keep Eersel guessing about the best way to attack.
Going straight backward and getting caught on the ropes could be disastrous, so he has to punish his foe for entering or use his footwork to reset out in the open.
Eersel’s Knees
As Eersel grew into the last match, he began to back Nicolas up more often to unload on him.
While the Frenchman’s defense held up and he absorbed the punches well, “The Immortal” found ways through with his stepping and jumping knees.
He likes to hit his opponents with hooks to have them shell up and then drive his knees to the body through the middle.
Given Eersel’s supreme conditioning and non-stop pressure, this will add up throughout five rounds and help to fatigue “Barboza.”
If the body knees are money in the bank for the championship rounds, then his jumping knees are the potential highlight finish.
While they’re a smaller part of his output, Eersel can fly into headshots with ease due to his long frame, and it only takes one knee to put an opponent on the canvas.
