“IT’S been at the centre of the controversial new era of boxing with online celebs stepping into the ring to fight anyone who is willing to say yes. But despite scandal after scandal, Misfits boxing attracts millions of fans the world over – and earns eye-watering figures for the fighters on the cards. 17 October”, — write: www.thesun.co.uk
But despite scandal after scandal, Misfits boxing attracts millions of fans the world over – and earns eye-watering figures for the fighters on the cards.
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October 2023’s fight between YouTuber KSI and Tommy Fury was one of the most watched boxing events of the yearCredit: Reuters
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Logan Paul’s partner Nina Agdal was subjected to misogynistic harassment by Paul’s opponent, ex-MMA fighter Dillon DanisCredit: Instagram / Nina Agdal
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Ex-England footballer Wayne Bridge had to be pulled apart from KSI after the Misfits founder made a brutal John Terry jibeCredit: X formerly Twitter / @@MF_DAZNXSeriesFounded as a way of bringing ‘non-traditional’ fighters together in the ring – meaning YouTubers, TikTokers, and other internet stars – it’s divided sports fans, with some seeing it as having given boxing a new lease of life, while others think it’s made a mockery of the sport.
But their taste for controversy and over-the-top hype has seen bouts marred by scandal, while questions have been raised over the dangers of putting inexperienced fighters in the ring.
Build-ups to fights have even seen an OnlyFans star get choked unconscious and bitter rivalries that cross the line into harassment – with claims that revenge porn was used to psych out opponents.
Yesterday, the spotlight was once again on the promotion company when it was announced that YouTuber KSI – who also founded Misfits – is set to fight former England footballer Wayne Bridge in a bout on the 29th March.
Coming face to face in the AO Arena in Manchester, KSI mocked Bridge over 2010 claims that Chelsea-teammate John Terry had an affair with Bridge’s ex-girlfriend Vanessa Perroncel – which both have since vehemently denied.
“Wayne Bridge, aren’t you the guy that let John Terry smash your ex? That is what you are known for,” KSI said, leading to security stepping in to separate the pair.
That same evening, boxer Anthony Taylor worried fans after collapsing unconscious, and needing oxygen, following a defeat against ex-UFC fighter Darren Till.
And an earlier fight saw AfghanDan and Little T – grime artists from Blackpool who went viral in 2016 – step into the ring with AfghanDan receiving a dislocated shoulder.
Choked for viewsSince being founded in 2022, Misfits has gone on to some of the most-viewed fights of recent years, many of which have involved KSI, and other celebrities such as Logan Paul and his brother Jake.
But it has also been at the centre of plenty of scandals that many people fear is damaging the credibility of the sport.
In October 2023, at the Misfits open workout being held in Manchester ahead of a fight between Dillon Danis and Logan Paul, Ella Brooke was conducting interviews when she put in a bizarre – and highly dangerous – request.
She asked fighter Dillon Danis, to “choke her unconscious.”
He held her neck in his arms until she was out cold – but after being shaken back to her senses she couldn’t hide her excitement.
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Viral Blackpool Grime rappers Little T and Afghan Dan met in the ring on SundayCredit: PA
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Footage from the Manchester event shows the moment Brooke allowed Danis to put her in a headlockCredit: Supplied
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The OnlyFans star then passes out, before claiming it had felt “better than drugs”Credit: Supplied“Oh my God, that is so much better than drugs,” she exclaimed.
And this is far from the only scandal the pair have been at the centre of.
Brooke, a law student turned OnlyFans creator, has come under fire for using boxing to promote her content – though she is laughing all the way to the bank, claiming that she earns at least £30,000 a month from selling adult videos.
The 27-year old has also cultivated an intense rivalry with fellow OnlyFans star-turned boxer Astrid Wett, known for posing in football shirts – and not much else.
“Revenge porn”Danis, meanwhile, was at the heart of an even more toxic feud that saw him launch vicious attacks on his rival’s fiancee ahead of his boxing debut with Misfits.
Brazilian jiu-jitsuist and MMA fighter Danis had long been in a quarrel with YouTuber Jake Paul and brother Logan – who was slammed for posting a video which appeared to show the dead body of a suicide victim.
“The Pauls and I have had beef since forever,” he posted on social media when announcing his fight against Logan.
I just got another absolute nuke pic of Nina this one might be worse than the other oneDillon Danis
“Logan ridiculed me for years, attacked Floyd (Mayweather’s) wife, filmed a deceased person, scammed millions. KSI went after my mom, the list goes on,” he added.
The more cynical among boxing fans would see it as little more than savvy marketing, with both Logan and Dillon all too aware of how much exposure a public feud could bring them.
And it wasn’t long before the rivalry turned from a friendly one to genuine nastiness in the lead up to their 2023 fight.
Only a few days before meeting in the ring in Manchester, during an attempt at a face off, Logan threw a bottle at Dillon, getting a microphone to the head in return.
But what really shocked fans was the way in which Dillon dragged Logan’s fiancee, Nina Agdal, into their spat.
After the announcement of their fight, Danis launched a hateful social media offensive against Agdal in an effort to mess with his opponent’s head.
The MMA fighter posted pictures of Agdal with Leonardo DiCaprio, with whom she had a year-long relationship that ended in 2017, as well as bizarre photoshopped pictures of her with other men, including Brad Pitt.
One fake image even had him cuddling up to his rival’s girl.
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The build up to Paul and Danis’ fight saw the pair engage in a bitter rivalry that for many crossed the lineCredit: Alamy
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The harassment prompted the model to take out a restraining order against DanisCredit: Instagram
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Danis was disqualified after six rounds after the fight descended into a mass-brawlCredit: AlamyBut despite already having harassed her with hundreds of hateful comments and memes, Danis stooped even lower and claimed he had explicit photos of the former Victoria’s Secret Model.
“I just got another absolute nuke pic of Nina this one might be worse than the other one. Wow this girl is actually wild,” Danis posted.
“Logan, on a man level you need to call this marriage off now.”
He then went on to put up am X-rated video of Nina in which she is talking about how she is craving sex.
In response to Danis’s harassment of her, Nina filed a lawsuit for “revenge porn”, claiming that his posts had caused her to “suffer humiliation, emotional distress, and reputational harm.”
Agdal took out a restraining order against Danis, alleging that he’d posted a sexually explicit photograph of her that was “obtained without consent.”
The lawsuit is ongoing, with lawyers alleging that Danis had damaged his own phone to prevent evidence from being collected.
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Dillon Danis shared this picture of himself with Nina, which was branded fakeCredit: Twitter
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A fan shared the original picture which shows him with another womanCredit: Twitter
Born Olajide “JJ” Olatunji in 1999, he attended Berkhamsted School in Hertfordshire before becoming a founding member of YouTube group the Sidemen, known for their football and comedy videos.
Since creating his channel in 2009, KSI has racked up nearly six billion views and has over 25 million subscribers.
KSI also branched out into rapping, with his debut EP Keep Up topping the UK R&B albums chart in 2016. He has since gone on to achieve fourteen top 40 singles.
In 2022, he launched Prime energy drink in collaboration with Logan Paul.
Following social media hype around its release, some people paid up to £100 for a single bottle, while others sold it at inflated prices on places such as eBay.
He also founded Lunchly along with Paul and MrBeast, a kids lunch kit company.
The YouTuber is also known for his flashy car collection, which has included a Lamborghini Aventador, a Porsche 718 Boxster, and Rolls-Royce Wraith.
He also revealed in a 2020 interview that he owns over ten properties around England with a combined worth of over £10million.
Ring brawlCommentators and boxing fans condemned the behaviour, while the fight itself also descended into farce.
After six rounds of prancing around, tensions boiled over with both fighters’ security teams becoming entangled in a brawl and Danis putting Paul in a headlock. Danis was disqualified.
The toxic feuds are all part of the game to the fans – and one of the reasons many tune in.
“Danis got this fight because he’s great at being a troll, he quadrupled his following because he’s great at being a troll,” commented MMA reporter Aaron Bronster.
“He got sued because he’s great at being a troll, he showed up and made this a terrible match because he’s great at being a troll.”
Founder vs FuryThe match between Danis and Paul was the under card for a bout between Misfits’s founder, KSI, and the boxer and Love Island contestant Tommy Fury.
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KSI was criticised for using homophobic slurs against Tommy Fury’s dad, John FuryCredit: Getty
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KSI’s meeting with the ex-Love Islander was derided by former world champion Carl FrochCredit: Getty
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At least 1.3 million people tuned in to watch the October 2023 fightCredit: ReutersAt the face-off ahead of the much-anticipated fight, a clip of Fury’s father, John Fury, headbutting a Perspex screen in cartoon-like rage went viral.
KSI also spat at the senior Fury from a balcony and launched a volley of homophobic slurs against him.
Fury eventually emerged victorious by unanimous decision but the pair were soon met with criticism from long-time professionals of the sport.
“It’s a load of crap as far as I’m concerned,” former world champion Carl Froch commented shortly after.
“They’re not qualified, they’re not experienced or good enough to be in a boxing ring,” he added.
You like pork, right?Alex Stein
But while the criticism from the more traditional parts of the boxing world was harsh, no one could deny how successful the event was for Misfits.
More than 1.3 million pay-per-views were bought ahead of the fight, potentially generating at least £25million in revenue.
And that’s on top of the 21,000 spectators who crammed into Manchester’s AO Area to see the pair battle it out.
Racist abuseOther press conferences and fights have also been marred by controversy.
In July 2023, right-wing Youtube personality Alex Stein had been due to fight Muslim Youtuber MoDeen.
However, Stein ended up being removed from the undercard after throwing hotdogs at his opponents during a press conference and saying, “You like pork, right?”
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MoDeen, a Muslim TikToker, was subject to racist abuse at Misfits press conferenceCredit: Twitter / Alex Stein
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Right-wing YouTuber Alex Stein carried out the stunt, which saw him get dropped from the fight cardCredit: Twitter / @StokeyyG2
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Controversial social media star HSTikkyTokky clashed with his opponent in a hotel lobby after his fight was called offCredit: tiktok/hsboxertokkyMoDeen then had to be held back by security, with the press conference falling apart in the chaos.
Other participants in Misfits boxing matches include the social media personality Harrison Sullivan, better known by his username of HSTikkytokky.
The controversial influencer was due to face court after allegedly crashing his £220k McLaren, but fled the country.
He had been set to get into the ring with opponent Masai Warrior in Qatar, although their fight was called off at the last minute.
But this didn’t stop the pair from clashing in the lobby of a hotel in the Gulf state.
Masai later commented: “You cancelled the fight, you don’t want to get into the ring, but you’re OK to push and shove in front of your girl. Don’t make no sense to me, Harrison.”
Sullivan also spat at and attempted to punch a fan minutes after his victory at another Misfits event in August.
A mass-brawl also broke out among the crowd for a Misfits event in London in May of last year.
Chairs were thrown at the event at The Troxy before security stepped in and separated those involved.