The fight will mark their second time together in the boxing ring following their amateur match at Manchester Arena in England in 2018. That fight raked in millions of views on YouTube’s pay-per-view service while arena tickets completely sold out. It was dubbed the biggest amateur boxing match in history, and the pair’s upcoming fight at Los Angeles’ Staples Center is expected to draw an even bigger audience.
By pounding it out in the ring, the duo hopes to set the record straight over who the best amateur boxer really is. In their first match, neither cruiserweight fighters were deemed winners after judges called a majority draw.
Paul, who enlisted former heavyweight champ Shannon Briggs as his training camp coach, is hoping to edge out KSI this time around after he was nearly knocked out by his opponent in 2018. “I’m definitely feeling more composed,” Paul told Forbes in an interview released Saturday.
“We were much more strategic with this training camp. Last time, I was pretending to feel good. But I was drained. I was ready for a vacation right after the fight. I had worked my a** off for three months, but I had over-trained. It wasn’t healthy. This year, I’m healthy,” he explained.
Both contenders’ preparation will likely come in handy when they enter the ring again, especially since they are expected to box without the amateur headgear.
The match may be the last for Paul, who, with nearly 20 million YouTube subscribers, is only looking to settle the score with KSI before returning his focus primarily to his entertainment career. In an interview with Boxing Scene on Thursday, KSI, whose YouTube channel boasts more than 20 million subscribers, said he’d be interested in making a professional career out of the sport.
“I’m putting in 110% into training and sparring. I’m not taking this lightly. It’s hard, it hurts, but I know in the future it will help me win this fight. It’s given me a whole new level of respect. I knew before, respecting the whole boxing scene, and how much work you have to put in,” he said. “This is something I want to continue doing in the future. I wouldn’t stop here. What’s the point of that? I have not gotten this far just to stop.”
KSI, whose real name is Olajide Olatunji, added: “There are more people I want to fight, and I will call them out after I win this fight.”
Along with Paul and KSI, super middleweight champ Billy Joe Saunders and Marcelo Coceres will compete in the co-main event in addition to lightweight fighters Alfredo Alvarez and current division titleholder Devin Haney.
Unlike last year’s event, which was exclusive to YouTube, the boxing event will not be available for viewing on the streaming giant’s pay-for-service. Fans in the U.S. and Canada will be able to watch the fight on DAZN, a streaming video service that covers various fighting sports like boxing and MMA. The service does come at a cost—$19.99 a month or $99 a year—but it can be paused or canceled at any time. Folks with DAZN can view the match on any set-top boxes or on the DAZN website. The fight will also be available for streaming on the DAZN app.
Meanwhile, viewers in the U.K. can stream the fight via Sky Sports pay-per-view.
The boxing event will begin at 9 p.m. ET, although Paul and KSI aren’t slated to enter the ring until about 11 p.m. ET.
