YouTube's biggest British star KSI is back in the ring in January for the third time in five months when he faces Dillon Danis at the OVO Arena Wembley in London.
The social media star spent almost three years away from the sport after beating Logan Paul in November 2019, but returned with a bang in front of a sold out O2 arena back in August. He was due to face Alex Wassabi, who had just beaten his brother Deji, but when the American pulled out with a concussion, he ended up facing two opponents in one night, dispatching of both by KO.
Now, he faces a proper fighter in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Danis, who is an undefeated MMA fighter under the Bellator banner. The New Yorker is best known as a teammate and close friend of Conor McGregor, but is also a famed agitator in the combat sports world, and has been angling for a YouTube fight since his last fight in 2019.
Here's all you need to know about KSI vs Dillon Danis...
What date is KSI vs Dillon Danis and what time will it start in the UK?
The chart-topping rapper will lace up the gloves again on on Saturday January 14 at the OVO Wembley Arena in London. Action is likely to get underway at 7pm, as is standard for his Misfits Boxing promotion, with a stacked undercard of influencer boxers and celebrities.
Ring walks for the main event are expected at around 10:15pm with action set to unfold at around 10:30 pm locally. This is dependant on the duration of the prior undercard bouts, which can go notably shorter than most boxing shows given that many fighters are beginners wearing 10oz gloves.
How to watch KSI vs Dillon Danis via TV and live stream in the UK
The event will be shown exclusively live on DAZN PPV, with the main broadcast starting at 7pm in the UK. A subscription to DAZN costs £7.99 a month and you can purchase one here. Fans will then have to pay a PPV fee, which is as yet unannounced but likely to be in the region of £12-15.
You can watch DAZN on multiple devices including laptop, smart TV and through the mobile app, with action able to be mirrored up to the TV via Google Chromecast.
Who are you backing to win - KSI or Dillon Danis? Let us know in the comments section below
Undercard
Slim Albaher vs Tom Zanetti
The defending light-heavyweight influencer boxing champion Slim Albaher will face debuting DJ Tom Zanetti in a bout that seems like a mismatch on paper. However, Zanetti has been training for a fight for years now, with multiple bouts falling through for a number of different reasons.
The DJ is known to be tough and has trained hard, but Albaher has been boxing for the past four years, and is known for his ability to land devastating knockouts. He should be heavily favoured in this bout.
Salt Papi vs Josh Brueckner
There's a belief that Salt Papi could prove himself as one of the best influencer boxers on the scene once he gets to step in the ring with a worthy adversary. He moved around with ease on his way to a decision win against Halal Ham back in March, before dispatching of Andy Warski within seconds in August on KSI's undercard.
However, he gets the test he's been craving on this event when he faces MMA fighter Brueckner. The family vlogger only got into YouTube when he met his wife Katie, and had forged a solid career for himself in the cage as an amateur before they ever came on the scene. At 2-0 as a professional boxer, he will be just the fight needed to gauge Salt Papi's level.
Ryan Taylor vs Swarmz
Controversial duo Ryan Taylor and Swarmz will entertain fans more in the build-up than in the ring, we'd imagine. The rapper faced KSI in a last-minute fight back in August, and managed to twirl his way into the second round before being dispatched by his former pal.
Meanwhile, Taylor has proven himself to be a tough individual, even if he hasn't yet been able to show a great deal of boxing ability. After headbutting DK Money in his debut back in March, he was battered from pillar to post by both Anthony Taylor and Slim Albaher to finish out the year, and will likely give a much better account of himself against a considerably less dangerous opponent.
Anthony Taylor vs Idris Virgo
The fun really gets underway when Anthony 'Pretty Boy' Taylor faces yet another Love Islander in Idris Virgo. However, the MTV star is no joke in the ring, holding a 12-0 professional record backed by a number of amateur and white collar victories. This could be fight of the night, with two loud-mouthed fighters looking to make a name for themselves and land big name bouts in 2023.
Faith Ordway vs Elle Brooke
The Misfits Boxing women's division is back as American influencer Faith Ordway travels to London to take on adult film star Elle Brooke. The boxing beauties likely won't be the most technically gifted on the card, but expect a considerably more impressive performance than you're used to in female influencer boxing, given Ordway's lengthy training camp and Brooke's ring experience.
Joe Fournier vs Tony Christodoulou
There's really only one reason why this fight is on the card at all; to keep Joe Fournier motivated in case our main event falls through. The 'boxing billionaire' is 9-0 as a professional and was once ranked with the WBA, so he should be able to breeze through retired MMA fighter Christodoulou with ease in his first athletic contest in almost five years.
Faze Temperrr vs Mystery Opponent
We're not sure about the logistics of this fight, but Faze Clan boss Thomas 'Temperrr' Oliveira will take on a mystery opponent, who will be revealed on fight night as they make the walk. The Brazilian is 2-1 as a boxer over the last year, defeating King Kenny in a rare retroactive decision before being knocked out by Slim Albaher and returning in November to stop Overtflow within seconds.
Quotes corner
KSI: “Finally I get my f***ing hands on him. Yeah, bro, you think you can just come through, dash coffee on my face and go on Twitter, talk all this and put all these memes about me out and think you're all that. I've been waiting to show you that you ain't nothing, I'm going to make you lose that undefeated streak of yours."
Dillon Danis: "I feel great, this is easy money, to be honest - that's a little b**** of a thing. I'm used to fighting real fighters, he's not ready for this. I guarantee you I knock his a** out, watch. He's got an ugly a** face so I've smacked him, it just is what it is, it's just natural, you know!”
