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Alexis Nicolas isn't one to rest on his laurels.
The new ONE lightweight kickboxing world champion captured arguably the biggest upset win in kickboxing for the past decade when he dethroned the invincible Regian Eersel.
Now that he's claimed the throne for himself, Nicolas vowed to defend the gold against all comers including the crown's former holder.
Alexis Nicolas told Sportskeeda MMA in an interview following his ONE Fight Night 21:
"I want to fight everybody. I want to fight the best because I want to show I'm the best. I'm ready for all the opportunities."
It's still too early for ONE Championship to make announcements regarding Nicolas' first world title defense, but fans have already clamored for a rematch between the French star and Eersel.
Fans believe Eersel, who still holds the ONE lightweight Muay Thai world title, had as much of a case to retain the kickboxing throne at ONE Fight Night 21.
'The Immortal' showed tremendous pace in the final two rounds, but Nicolas caught him in the first three rounds of the match.
Nicolas clocked Eersel with a blinding overhand right to drop the Surinamese superstar for the fight's lone knockdown.
Although Eersel pushed the pace in the fourth and fifth rounds, Nicolas had an answer for every strike 'The Immortal' threw at him until the final bell to capture the unanimous decision victory.
Alexis Nicolas basks in the glory of dethroning Regian Eersel
Regian Eersel carried an aura of invincibility since he started his glorious 22-fight winning streak in 2016.
'The Immortal' became almost a mythical figure in kickboxing and Muay Thai, but that mystique was shattered when he succumbed to Alexis Nicolas at ONE Fight Night 21.
Nicolas, who bumped his perfect record to 24-0, was brief in detailing the importance of his massive win over Eersel. He said:
"It's a very good feeling right now. I expected the bonus, you know, because it was a very big war. He won 22 fights and never lost. So for me, it's a big performance to win this belt."
Watch Nicolas' entire interview below:
