The main event of ONE Fight Night 21 at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, shocked martial arts fans when Alexis "Barboza" Nicolas defeated Regian "The Immortal" Eersel to become the new ONE Lightweight Kickboxing World Champion.
Nicolas started brightly and caused lots of problems for the defending champion with his speed and accuracy. The pivotal moment in the contest came in the second round when the Frenchman's powerful overhand right sent Eersel to the canvas.

However, the Surinamese superstar recovered from that setback and tried his best to make an impact in the match, but Nicolas defended well in the final rounds. The judges awarded the unanimous decision win to Nicolas, extending his record to 24-0.
In the co-main event, Tye Ruotolo retained his ONE Welterweight Submission Grappling World Title after submitting highly acclaimed Izaak Michell. The titleholder kept pressing forward to gain control in the match, but the Australian defended well.
After about three minutes, Michell was able to secure a standing back position, but Ruotolo executed a great reversal and found himself in the mount. From there, the American star secured his opponent's back and applied a modified rear-naked choke.
Michell attempted to escape, but he eventually had to tap at 4:43 of the 10-minute fight. After the match, Ruotolo named the move the "Ruotolotine," which brought his ONE record to 6-0.