Regian Eersel And Alexis Nicolas Share Final Thoughts Ahead Of World Title Trilogy At ONE Fight Night 30
Reigning two-sport kingpin Regian “The Immortal” Eersel and hard-hitting Frenchman Alexis “Barboza” Nicolas will add another chapter to their epic World Title feud live in U.S. primetime this Friday, April 4.
That night, in the co-main event of ONE Fight Night 30: Kryklia vs. Knowles on Prime Video, the Surinamese dynamo will put his ONE Lightweight Kickboxing World Title on the line in the pair’s deciding rubber match.
The bout will go down at Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium — the same iconic venue where the strikers traded victories against each other in two of 2024’s most electrifying battles.
Before fans across the globe tune in to this high-stakes trilogy fight, both Eersel and Nicolas spoke to onefc.com about their heated rivalry.
Eersel: ‘You Will See A Sleeping Nicolas’
When Regian Eersel first collided with “Barboza” in April 2024, he was a reigning two-sport ONE World Champion, riding an incredible eight-year winning streak, and widely considered one of the planet’s best pound-for-pound strikers.
While Alexis Nicolas was a talented undefeated fighter in his own right, few expected him to take the ONE Lightweight Kickboxing World Title away from the Surinamese superstar.
The Frenchman shocked the world, however. He racked up critical damage points with punishing low kicks and unleashed venomous boxing combinations to secure a unanimous decision win.
Looking back on that crushing defeat, Eersel admitted that he didn’t have the right mindset going into the match and became complacent about his success.
“The Immortal” said:
“I was undefeated for eight years. And yet, honestly, I lost the fire because it became normal. You know, you have a fight, you win, you have another fight. So, it becomes normal.
“And I think by losing to Alexis, I regained the fire because, yeah, I lost. It’s part of the job, of course. But for me, it was years that I didn’t lose a fight. So, for me, it was good to have a loss.”
That loss to Nicolas would ignite a new passion in the Surinamese knockout artist.
In the pair’s rematch six months later, Eersel delivered one of the finest performances of his career. He turned up the aggression to a fever pitch while employing fast movement to earn a unanimous decision win and reclaim his gold.
That victory, he said, was all about redemption:
“I was very happy to get my belt back and get revenge. I proved to myself, to my team, to all the fans, that I’m still the World Champion.”
Eersel said that he’s now poised to win the rubber match and close the door on his rivalry with Nicolas.
“The Immortal” is ready for another 15-minute war, but if the opportunity presents itself, he knows he’ll jump on the chance to finish “Barboza” in emphatic fashion.
He offered:
“A win in this trilogy means to me that I can end this, once and for all. I hope I can open a new chapter in my career, and we will go forward from there.
“I am preparing myself for the five rounds. But when I have the chance to finish him, you will see a sleeping Nicolas.”
Nicolas: ‘This Fight Should Be Legendary’
For his part, Alexis Nicolas was quick to praise Regian Eersel and all that he’s accomplished across kickboxing and Muay Thai. However, “Barboza” is building his own legacy, as well.
After two unforgettable wars in 2024, the Frenchman believes their trilogy bout at ONE Fight Night 30 is sure to deliver even more drama.
He 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.
“Our two fights were crazy, maybe the best of 2024. It’s always a pleasure to give this kind of fight for the fans.”
While Nicolas entered his first clash with “The Immortal” loaded with the well-deserved confidence of an undefeated rising star, he confesses that he didn’t have the same drive in their second encounter last October.
Even though he held the 26 pounds of gold, something was missing.
He explained:
“Going into the rematch as the defending champion, it was different for me. I didn’t get the same fire in my heart. When I watch the rematch, I’m not confident in the same way that I was in the first fight. When I look at my eyes, I know that I’m not the same guy.
“Eersel was the best version of himself during the second fight, but I was not.”
With six months to sharpen his mind, hone his technique, and fix any mistakes he made, Nicolas is determined to recapture the ONE Lightweight Kickboxing World Title.
“The Frenchman” has nothing personal against Eersel — he’s just the man standing between him and 26 pounds of ONE Championship gold. And like his rival, Nicolas is plenty ready for another five-round firefight and believes he can even score the KO.
“Barboza” said:
“I have nothing against Eersel. He’s in my way, and I just want to take the belt. I just want the belt. I’m ready for five rounds against him, but I’m ready to put him out, too.”
