"I was ready for five rounds" - Alexis Nicolas says unlimited gas tank took him across the finish line vs Regian Eersel

Alexis Nicolas surprised a lot of people with his performance at ONE Friday Fights 58 this past week.

The underdog challenger came into April 5 with a big point to prove as he looked to leave Lumpinee Stadium with the ONE lightweight kickboxing world championship.

There was just one small problem standing in his way - the dominant Regian Eersel.

Anyone who goes up against Eersel and his unmatched level of title fight experience knows that they're going to need to be in the best shape of their career.

The champ is a master of controlling the pace and building as the fight continues, meaning that if you're going to be competitive, you best be prepared to go five hard rounds.

Nicolas was able to match the champion and whilst he may not have had as much success in the later rounds, he didn't start to wilt like many do against Eersel.

The new champion spoke in his post-fight press conference about his mentality in regard to cardio and pace in this fight:

"I saw his place and I was ready for five rounds cardio, unlimited cardio, you know, because I worked hard every day. So I saw in his face, he wasn't ready and he knows it would be a hard fight."

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Alexis Nicolas didn't look out of his depth

ONE Fight Night 21 gave us a historic upset but it isn't like we had ever seen Alexis Nicolas compete at this level before.

The undefeated Frenchman had just one win under the ONE Championship banner before heading into the main event.

At just 25 years old, he showed that the experience difference between the two men wasn't decisive in this fight.

His second-round knock down ended up being worth its weight in gold as the one true decider between them once the fifth and final round came to an end.

Alexis Nicolas won't forget this performance in a hurry and while Eersel will be back, this is the new champion's moment to reap the rewards of his hard work.