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Regian Eersel lost the ONE lightweight kickboxing world title to Alexis Nicolas earlier this month and gave credit to the Frenchman for keeping him at bay for much of their title clash on his way to a well-earned unanimous decision victory.
'Barboza' dethroned 'The Immortal' at ONE Fight Night 21 on April 5 at the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. Eersel lost the championship belt after successfully defending it three times previously.
Speaking on STVS Suriname in an interview, the 31-year-old Suriname native broke down what took place in his title clash with Nicolas. He admitted that his opponent's steady kicks took a toll on him and prevented him from really getting his game going.
The Sityodtong Amsterdam standout 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 course, I also felt some pain. That's why I couldn't really get into my game."
At ONE Fight Night 21, Nicolas came out knowing exactly what he wanted to achieve, immediately putting pressure on Eersel that paid early dividends as he was able to send Eersel down to the canvas in the second round with an overhand right.
The former lightweight kickboxing king, however, had some telling hits of his own on the 25-year-old Mahmoudi Gym standout as the fight wore on. But in the end, the challenger got the nod of all of the judges for his overall agression and efficiency.
Despite the loss, Regian Eersel remained as ONE world champion as he also held the lightweight Muay Thai world title.
Replay of ONE Fight Night 21 is available for North American fans with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.
Regian Eersel hopes to get rematch against Alexis Nicolas
While he accepts the loss he absorbed at the hands of Alexis Nicolas at ONE Fight Night 21 earlier this month, Regian Eersel is hoping that ONE Championship will give him a rematch for him to have a chance to reclaim the lightweight kickboxing gold.
He shared this in a post on his Instagram story in the aftermath of his defeat, highlighting that if certain breaks went his way he could have won the title match against Nicolas.
'The Immortal' wrote:
"If I didn't get the eight-count, I would have won the fight. So, I hope ONE Championship gives me a rematch. But yeah. It is what it is. You win some, you lose some, you know? I will be back even better. I will be back. But for now, I'm just gonna enjoy Bangkok and grab some food and drinks."
The loss was the first for Regian Eersel in 11 fights to date since making his ONE Championship debut in April 2018.
