Alexis Nicolas Upsets Regian Eersel, Wins ONE Lightweight Kickboxing World Title

Alexis “Barboza” Nicolas checked all the boxes before his ONE Lightweight Kickboxing World Title showdown with two-sport king Regian “The Immortal” Eersel, yet most fans counted him out.

The 25-year-old Frenchman, however, shocked the kickboxing world when he dethroned Eersel in the main event of ONE Fight Night 21 on Prime Video at Bangkok’s Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in U.S. primetime on Friday, April 5.

Nicolas adjusted well to what Eersel does best. He evaded the rangy punches of his wiry rival and used his own kicks to break the Surinamese kingpin’s rhythm.

As the battle continued, Nicolas only grew more confident in his abilities. In fact, he had no problem trading punches with the defending titleholder, even dropping Eersel with an overhand right to score an eight-count in the second frame.

Eersel returned to his feet, and the World Title fight raged on. But the match also began to wear down both competitors. Nicolas appeared to be feeling the effects of Eersel’s step-in knees midway through the five-round clash.

However, in the championship rounds, “Barboza” caught his second wind and began to chop Eersel down with low kicks. Powerful punches only furthered the Frenchman’s cause.

“The Immortal,” for the first time in his ONE Championship run, looked human and even deflated, as the final seconds of the matchup disappeared into the ether of the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium.

When all was said and done, Nicolas earned the unanimous decision, pushed his undefeated record to 24-0, snapped his rival’s 22-bout winning streak, and ended Eersel’s terrifying five-year reign as the divisional king. And now, as the new ONE Lightweight Kickboxing World Champion, the Frenchman ushers in a new era for the weight class.