"I hope ONE gives me a rematch" - Regian Eersel admits early knockdown cost him the belt against Alexis Nicolas

Regian Eersel's reign of terror in ONE's lightweight kickboxing ranks officially came to an end at the hands of Alexis Nicolas at ONE Fight Night 21 last week.

'The Immortal', who hadn't tasted defeat in 22 bouts prior to this matchup, certainly understands how small the margin of error can be in the unforgiving fight game.

As far as Eersel is concerned, it was a split-second mistake in round two that ultimately cost him the lightweight kickboxing crown.

After an even first round, Nicolas shocked the world when he clipped the Surinamese star with a right cross-left uppercut combo that sent the champion to the canvas.

While Eersel survived the standing count, he knew he had a lot of ground to cover after taking the most significant strike of the bout.

'The Immortal' regained his bearings and landed beautiful combos in the ensuing rounds. However, in the end, the judges deemed Nicolas as the rightful victor via unanimous decision after 15 minutes of pulsating action.

Reflecting on his first loss in ONE, Regian Eersel recorded an Instagram story on his personal account to address his mishap. The 31-year-old, who's still the lightweight Muay Thai world champion, also expressed his desire for an immediate rematch:

"I think if I didn't get the eight count [in the second round], I would have won the fight. I hope ONE Championship gives me a rematch."

The replay of ONE Fight Night 21 is free on demand for existing Prime Video subscribers in North America.

---

Regian Eersel vows to return with a vengeance

Losing his two-sport world champion status has certainly lit a fire under Regian Eersel.

Even the greatest fall sometimes, and the Sityodtong Amsterdam product says this setback will only make him even deadlier than before:

"It is what it is. You win some, you lose some, you know? I will be back even better. I will be back."