KSI has confirmed he will not be returning to boxing, bringing an end to one of the most high-profile influencer fighting careers of the past decade. The 32-year-old YouTuber and musician hasn’t fought since his loss to Tommy Fury in 2023, and says that defeat marked the beginning of the end for his time in the sport.
Speaking on The Ranveer Show, KSI explained that boxing slowly became something he no longer enjoyed — mentally, emotionally, or physically — and that his focus is now firmly on content creation and entertainment.
Why Boxing Stopped Feeling Right
KSI said boxing forced him to become someone he didn’t like.
He explained that promoting fights required tapping into a darker, more aggressive side of himself to create hype and sell events — something that eventually took its toll.
He also revealed that money was never the motivation. Despite earning heavily from the Tommy Fury fight, he said he gave all of that money to his trainers.
Even an offer reportedly worth around $30 million to fight Jake Paul wasn’t enough to change his mind.
“When it comes to boxing, I’m done. I tried,” he said. “No amount of money could make me fight Jake Paul.”
The Jake Paul Fight That Never Happened
A bout with Jake Paul was long seen as the biggest possible fight in influencer boxing, and KSI admitted it was his main reason for returning to the ring in recent years.
He said negotiations repeatedly fell apart, claiming Paul kept changing conditions — particularly around weight — while choosing other opponents instead, including Nate Diaz.
After years of delays and failed talks, KSI said he finally asked himself why he was still pushing his body so hard for something that might never happen.
That was the moment he decided to stop.
Seven Years, Eight Fights, and Total Burnout
KSI was one of the pioneers of influencer boxing, first fighting Joe Weller in 2018 before launching the massive YouTube rivalry with Logan Paul. Their first bout reportedly sold over 1.3 million pay-per-view buys and helped turn creator boxing into a global business.
But the grind, he said, became unbearable.
He described brutal training camps, constant injuries, exhaustion, illness, and the mental pressure of knowing millions were watching — and betting — on him.
By the time he was preparing to fight Dillon Danis, his hand was injured, his body felt broken, and his motivation was gone.
“I was like, why am I doing this to myself?” he said. “There’s something I enjoy way more — making content.”
KSI will remain involved with Misfits Boxing as one of its founders and promoters, but he says his fighting days are over.
After eight fights and seven exhausting years, he’s stepping off the roller-coaster for good.
