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Last Friday, April 5th, Alexis “Barboza” Nicolas shocked fans around the world when he snapped his incredible dominance of Regian “The Immortal” Aircel.
The French phenom won Aircel’s ONE Lightweight Kickboxing World Title by unanimous decision after five intense rounds at ONE Fight Night 21 on Prime Video, ending ‘The Immortal’s’ eight-year undefeated streak. This brought an end to the five-year-long predicament of the class.
Aircel entered the fight as the ONE Lightweight Kickboxing and Muay Thai World Champion, so few gave Nicholas a chance ahead of their fight at Lumpini Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
But he believed in himself and knew he could pull off an upset. Barboza then reflected on his historic win and his newfound status as ONE World Champion.
He told onefc.com:
“When my manager told me before the fight that I would fight Regien Aircel, I said yes. If I wasn’t ready for this fight, [would have never taken it]. Now I took the belt and showed the world that I am the best.
“I didn’t beat just anybody. I beat Regien Aircel, who is a legend. And I’m very proud. I worked hard. It was a crazy fight. I feel very, very good. .”
It was a close battle, but it was Nicholas who had the most decisive moment. He crushed Airsel’s legs early on with brutal low kicks and even dropped the tough-looking Surinamese superstar in the second round.
As always, Aircel used their resilience to push through, while ‘Barboza’ showed his mettle to continue winning despite the return of the Defender King.
When the final bell rang, both players were feeling the effects of a hard-fought battle, but Nicholas was confident he had secured victory.
“I felt like I did enough to win. [I was close to knocking him out] After the first round because I worked hard. That was the game plan. Calf kick was the strategy, but I realized he wasn’t ready for that yet.
“It was a very tough fight. I think he was struggling in the first round because he was very strong. It hurt when I kicked his knee too. So it was tough for both of us. We were two big champions and the best guy won tonight. And that was me.”
Alexis Nicholas: “I want to fight those who are aiming for the belt”
After coming in as an underdog, Alexis Nicholas proved his shot at the ONE Lightweight Kickboxing World Title with a great performance.
In the end, Barboza took the gold medal from Regien Hercel, but it wasn’t just the 25-year-old Frenchman’s belt.
Above all, he felt immense satisfaction in completing his hard work and proving to his compatriots that he was one of the most elite strikers on the planet.
Nicholas said:
“This belt is not real.” [accomplishment] tonight. The real victory was winning the hearts of all French people. Now all my fans know that I’m the best. I worked hard and I’m very proud.
“My true happiness tonight is to bring this belt to my country, my family, Mahmoudi Jim and my entire team.”
Now with an impressive 24-0 professional record and one of kickboxing’s most coveted prizes, Nicholas will have no shortage of potential challengers in the coming months.
His first task will be to recover after a brutal battle in Bangkok, but after that he will stand up to anyone he believes can remove him from the throne.
“Barboza” added:
“What’s next is easy. I have the belt. I want to fight anyone who wants it. I know Arcel wants this belt again. I know the whole world wants it. Masu.
“This fight was very hard. I’m tired and a little sore so I’ll take some rest and then go back to training. I want to come back and fight. I’m hungry!”
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