YouTube star KSI is taking on two combatants, Swarmz and Luis Pineda, back-to-back during his boxing event on August 27. Here’s everything you need to know to tune in.
KSI is one of the founding fathers of influencer boxing, and he’s making his long-awaited comeback to the ring in just two months’ time.
After initially announcing his return in May, he finally pinned down an opponent — Alex Wassabi, an influencer he’d brushed off as too insignificant for his time in years past.
Unfortunately, this match-up wasn’t meant to be. Just weeks before fight night, Alex dropped out of the bout, forcing KSI to pick his back-up opponent, Swarmz… and later, another additional opponent, pro boxer Ivan Nikolov.
But fate intervened once again as Ivan Nikolov was removed from the card and replaced by a boxer from Mexico, Luis Alcaraz Pineda. KSI will fight for three rounds against both opponents to end the event.
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Who is Swarmz?
Swarmz is a British rapper and former semi-pro football player, who KSI says was written into his contract as his back-up rival, should something prevent Wassabi from fighting.
The UK rapper weighed in at 199 pounds, 20 pounds heavier than KSI, and one pound under the cruiserweight limit. Despite this difference, KSI claims he will only need one round to knock out the much heavier Swarmz and move on to Pineda.
Who is Luis Pineda?
Luis Alcaraz Pineda is a fighter from Mexico with a 2-5 record. He is the latest addition to the ‘2 fights 1 night’ event and is coming off of a four-loss record. He debuted in 2017 as a pro boxer.
He campaigns in the Super Lightweight division but weighed in at 179 lbs on August 26, on pound lighter than KSI. The YouTuber claims he will be able to knock out Pineda in two rounds following his fight with Swarmz.
Who is Ivan Nikolov?
Ivan Nikolov is a 43-year-old Bulgarian pro boxer. He’s a middleweight fighter with a 3-16-2 record.
KSI announced he would be fighting Nikolov on the same night as his bout against Swarmz, making this match one of the first of its kind in influencer-boxing history…. but unfortunately, this bout would also experience problems.
KSI announced that he will be fighting Bulgarian pro boxer Ivan Nikolov on the same night he is set to fight Swarmz during the August 27th event pic.twitter.com/CQ6WunMdcQ
— Dexerto (@Dexerto) August 16, 2022
Why was Ivan Nikolov removed from the KSI fight?
Just a few days after announcing his second fight of the night against Nikolov, viewers noticed that the pro boxer had several racist tattoos — one of which read ‘white power’ in large lettering on his stomach.
In response to the backlash, Nikolov argued that his tattoos had “absolutely no relevance to an outdated opinion and simply refer to my own belief in my strength and power as an athlete.”
Nikolov was apparently removed from the event just a day later, claiming that DAZN had dropped him from the card. All advertisement featuring Nikolov has also been taken down.
KSI later addressed Nikolov’s removal in a YouTube video stating, “Yes, I’m still fighting two people. Ivan isn’t my opponent anymore. He has been removed. The matchmaker also got fired for allowing this to happen in the first place. But yes, my new opponent is faceless. Luis Alcarez Pineda.”
Why did Alex Wassabi drop out of the KSI boxing match?
According to KSI, Wassabi allegedly pulled out of their bout due to purported health issues.
KSI claims that Wassabi acquired a doctor’s note that said he had “either a concussion or a broken hand.”
When is KSI vs Swarmz vs Pineda?
KSI will face off with Wassabi on August 27, 2022.
The main card is slated to kick off at 2 PM ET, with the main event scheduled to take place at 5:15 PM ET.
This bout was initially supposed to follow Jake Paul’s match against Hasim Rahman Jr on August 6, although that match was canceled after Hasim failed to make weight in time.
Where is KSI vs Swarmz vs Pineda?
KSI vs Swarmz is slated to take place at the O2 in London, UK. This is the same venue that hosted the YouTuber vs TikTokers boxing event earlier this year.
KSi is returning to the boxing ring – but his comeback match has experienced some difficulties.
Where to watch KSI vs Swarmz
Outside of attending the fight in-person, fans overseas can catch the fight on DAZN, a streaming service specifically for combat sports events.
Where to buy tickets for KSI vs Swarmz
Ticketing information for the in-person event can be found on the O2’s official website, which we’ll link here. Sales are not yet available, but fans can bookmark the site when they go live.
For those watching via live stream, DAZN offers a subscription-based service for most fights, so all one needs to do is sign up for a subscription.
Who is on the KSI vs Swarmz fight card?
The KSI vs Swarmz card features several other influencer bouts, some of which have also been shuffled around in light of Swarmz’s addition to the event.
Thus far, these are the confirmed fights for August 27:
- FaZe Temperrr vs Slim Albaher
- Deji vs Fouseytube
- King Kenney vs FaZe Sensei
- Sam Hyde vs IAmThmpsn
- Salt Papi vs Andy Warski
- Deen the Great vs EvilHero
August 27th. pic.twitter.com/zq5wUByOy5
— ksi (@KSI) July 9, 2022
KSI vs Alex Wassabi: A history
KSI has had three matches in his boxing career — one against Joe Weller, and the other two against Logan Paul. This next matchup will mark his first bout in nearly two years… and fans were surprised that he was initially taking on Wassabi.
Back in March, Wassabi boxed KSI’s little brother, YouTube star Deji, and won. KSI notoriously uploaded a video admonishing his little bro for his “disappointing” match.
Wassabi, much to fans’ shock, took aim at KSI over his comments and commended Deji for being brave enough to face him in the ring. He then challenged KSI to a boxing match — which KSI was happy to honor, until Wassabi pulled out.
Now, KSI is back to square one after his failed dual-fight event tanked due to the backlash surrounding Nikolov… and although fans are left anxious about the future of his comeback bout, KSI has his eyes firmly set on Jake Paul as his next opponent in 2023.