Eersel lost the coveted crown when he took on the Frenchman at ONE Fight Night 21 this past April, so he needed little motivation to find a win in their rematch inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Stadium.
But, he says, the barbs he received from Nicolas’ compatriots gave him extra determination to overcome the previously undefeated star, which he did via unanimous decision after five tough rounds.
“Yes, of course, especially the French fans. I got a lot of messages saying that I was going to sleep. But that only added fuel to the fire. It only motivated me, and you saw the result,” Eersel said.
“Alexis is a challenging opponent because of his fighting style. He’s very quick. His fighting style is unique, but you saw I found the key to beat him.”
Now that he has the ONE lightweight kickboxing and Muay Thai world titles in his possession once more, the Surinmese star can get back to work securing his legacy.
Eersel wants to capitalize on his momentum and remain active, but he may be thinking of switching sports.
He claimed ONE Championship’s inaugural lightweight Muay Thai crown against Sinsamut Klinmee in 2022 and went on to defend it twice from there. Now with the blip of his kickboxing defeat to Nicolas behind him, “The Immortal” feels he’s ready to cement his status in the “art of eight limbs.”
“I hope my next fight will be in Muay Thai because the position is waiting for me,” Eersel said.
“It took a long time to defend my Muay Thai belt so I think it’s now time.”
