KSI has replaced his second opponent for his return to the ring next weekend after discovering Ivan Nikolov was an alleged white supremacist.
The YouTuber boxer will take on two fighters on one night when he makes his return to the ring after more than 1,000 days on the sidelines. He will take on rapper Swarmz, who himself replaced the injured Alex Wassabi, and Luis Alcaraz Pineda who replaces Nikolov.
Pineda has won two of his seven professional fights and has lost his last four. KSI, who also claimed he has sacked his matchmaker for drafting in Nikolov, said of his new opponent: "He hasn't lost as many times as Ivan, he's Mexican and he's younger as well. I know a lot of people were having a go at me because the other guy was in his forties."
KSI's decision to fight Nikolov sparked controversy when eagle-eyed fans spotted a "White Power" tattoo on the fighter's stomach. Several other white supremacist tattoos were uncovered, including the words "Blood & Honour" on his arm, which is the name of a neo-Nazi skinhead group.
Nikolov did take to social media to deny the accusations, saying: "I have seen recent news regarding a tattoo referring to 'white power'. This has absolutely no relevance to an outdated opinion, and simply refers to my own belief in my strength and power as an athlete.
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"I have no criminal record, or involvement with the police, regarding any racial issues. I now understand how the tattoo can be misinterpreted, but I passionately distance myself from any other meaning it may have other than representing my force as a competitor."
But a previous opponent had also noted his ink, with Daniel Blenda Dos Santos taking issue with them when the pair fought last April. After winning by first-round knockout, Dos Santos said: "When I saw his tattoos, some of them racist in nature, I wanted to hurt him. I am not disappointed to have had [a short fight]."
