KSI won't be fighting Andrew Tate or Tommy Fury in his return to the ring next year, citing different reasons for why he can't fight either man.
The YouTube star included Tate and Fury in his post-fight callout after knocking out Swarmz and Luis Pineda in one fight during his successful showing at The O2 arena in London last month. But now due to issues with both fighters, he has asked fans to pick his opponent for his next fight.
He posted a poll to Twitter on Wednesday offering his 8.1million followers to choose between former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley, Bellator MMA fighter Dillon Danis, YouTube knockout artist Slim Albaher and 1-0 YouTube boxer Dr Mike Varshavski for his next bout. But notably absent from the list were Tate and Fury.
Before fans could ask why they were missing, he added a follow-up message, informing them: " Tommy Fury can’t fight in America (That’s where the next event is), and Andrew Tate is too heavy for me." When his fellow Sidemen member Vikkstar suggested that he fight One Direction singer Liam Payne, KSI laughed off the idea.
Tate competed at cruiserweight during his kick-boxing career where he won four ISKA world titles, but hasn't competed actively since 2016. He had a brief comeback in 2020 where he won by TKO, but for that bout he weighed in at 207lb. KSI tipped the scales at 180lb, allowing rapper Swarmz to weigh-in at 199lb, while Pineda was 179lb.
Meanwhile, Fury's August fight with Jake Paul at Madison Square Garden was cancelled when he was turned away at the airport as he tried to board a flight to the pre-fight press conference. He has yet to be able to sort out his travel issue, which will also rule him out of fighting KSI.
Within three hours of posting the poll, over 345,207 people voted, with Woodley holding a narrow lead over Danis at the time of going to print. Trailing in third was Albaher, while only 10.7 per cent of fans were interested in seeing him fight the American Dr Mike, who has over 10m subscribers on YouTube.
Who do you think KSI should fight next? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!
Varshavski defeated IDubbbz in his debut fight back in April, battering his rival over the five rounds. He actively practices medicine in America and has previously indicated that some in his profession are concerned about his involvement in boxing. However, that didn't stop him engaging in the discussion, tweeting: "I don’t mind adding 'giving KSI his first L' to my New Years resolutions."
Woodley is likely the most decorated of the options, but he hasn't won a fight since 2018 and has lost his last six in all disciplines including stoppages by Colby Covington, Vicente Luque and Jake Paul in his second boxing fight. Danis is 2-0 as a Bellator MMA fighter, but hasn't competed in three years and is better known for jiu-jitsu than striking.
Meanwhile, Albaher may be the standout option from the bunch. He viciously knocked out Thomas 'Faze Temperrr' Oliveira on just two weeks' notice in the co-main event of KSI's last show to announce himself on the mainstream influencer boxing scene after three previous KOs on smaller shows.
