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Alexis Nicolas vs. Regian Eersel: 4 keys to victory in ONE easy rematch for the world kickboxing title

After a thrilling first encounter, Alexis “Barboza” Nicolas and Regian “The Immortal” Eersel are ready to face off again in the main event of ONE Fight Night 25 on Prime Video.

Nicolas shocked the combat sports world when he ended the Surinamese star's dominant run to claim the ONE Lightweight Kickboxing World Title in April, but Eersel is looking for redemption in their rematch this Friday, October 4, live in prime time in the US afford.

Their first five-round meeting offered action and excitement from start to finish, with only an early knockdown separating them. Now fans can't wait to see how the second leg unfolds at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

More familiar with each other's abilities than ever before, this duel could be even tougher. However, here are the keys to victory for Nicolas and Eersel ahead of their second meeting.

Nicolas' low kicks

Nicolas set the stage with a heavy low kick attack in the opening round of their first encounter.

“Barboza” landed 25 significant low kicks in the first three minutes and 53 in total, adding a lot of points to his scorecards and causing significant damage to his opponent.

By making sure to attack the lead leg each time Eersel moved in to strike, the Frenchman managed to stem the flow of strikes and keep The Immortal at bay.

The low kicks disrupted Eersel's attacks and often left him off balance, meaning his combinations were not as effective.

When Nicolas took his foot off the gas with this line of attack, the former king became stronger and dictated more play. Therefore, “Barboza” should continue with them in all five rounds this time.

Eersel's relentless pressure

Eersel's best moments in the first fight were when he managed to close the distance and unleash his volleys of punches.

Although it took some time for him to break through, the man from Sityodtong Amsterdam gained volume and confidence, making it extremely close at the end of the final frame.

By putting Nicolas in the background this time, “The Immortal” limits his rival's ability to land low kicks and gives him more opportunities to land his big throws.

It's hard to keep up with Eersel's combination punches, and his conditioning allows him to increase the tempo further – something Nicolas struggled with in the first game.

But “The Immortal” cannot be careless in his attack, for he now knows that his opponent has serious power in his hands.

Nicolas' counter

Few can match Eersel straight away, but Nicolas succeeded when he stood his ground and believed in his counterattacks.

“Barboza’s” chin never let up, and in the second round he planted his feet and responded to a jab with a crunching overhand right that sent the dominant lightweight king to the canvas.

Again, this is another tool Nicolas could use in the rematch to make “The Immortal” think twice about charging forward in his usual marauding style.

Although it's not advisable to stand in front of your rival all the time, if Barboza can combine strong counters with lateral movement and some skillful ring technique, he can keep Eersel guessing as to how best to attack.

Going straight back and getting caught on the ropes could be disastrous, so he has to punish his opponent for stepping in or use his footwork to retreat into the open.

Eersel's knee

As Eersel grew into the final game, he started supporting Nicolas more often to take the pressure off him.

While the Frenchman's defense held up and he absorbed the punches well, “The Immortal” found ways through with his stepping and jumping knee routes.

He likes to hit his opponents with hooks to bombard them, then drive his knees through the middle to the body.

Given Eersel's excellent conditioning and non-stop pressure, this will add up over five rounds and help tire “Barboza.”

If the body knees are championship round money, then his jumping knees are the potential highlight finish.

Although they make up a smaller portion of his output, Eersel's long frame allows him to easily land headshots, and only one knee is required to bring an opponent to the canvas.

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