Misfits Boxing Explained: Everything You Need To Know

Misfits Boxing has become one of the most talked-about names in combat sports. Love it or dismiss it, the promotion has carved out a significant niche by putting social media personalities, content creators, and crossover athletes into the ring. Events regularly pull massive online viewership and sell out arenas.

But what actually is Misfits Boxing? How does it work? And what has it meant for boxing as a whole?

What Is Misfits Boxing?

Misfits Boxing is a boxing promotion founded in 2022 by British YouTuber KSI (Olajide Olatunji) alongside business partner Mams Taylor and in association with Wasserman Boxing, led by promoter Kalle Sauerland.

The promotion focuses primarily on crossover boxing - fights between social media influencers, content creators, TikTok personalities, and other non-traditional athletes. Rather than operating on the established professional boxing circuit, Misfits created its own ecosystem with its own titles, rankings, and competitive structure.

Events are branded as the "MF & DAZN: X Series" following a broadcast partnership with streaming platform DAZN. This deal gave Misfits global distribution and helped establish it as more than just a novelty act.

The MF Format Explained

Misfits operates differently from traditional boxing promotions. Here is how it works.

Weight Classes and Titles

The promotion has its own championship belts across various weight divisions. Fighters compete to become Misfits champions, building records within the ecosystem. These titles are separate from recognised boxing sanctioning bodies like the WBC, WBA, IBF, or WBO.

MF-Professional vs Traditional Professional

In June 2024, Misfits launched "MF Pro" - a professional boxing division that signs decorated amateur boxers looking to turn professional. This sits alongside their influencer events but features fighters with traditional boxing backgrounds.

The distinction matters. When you see a Misfits event, some fights will be between influencers under modified rules, while others might feature genuine professional boxers on the undercard building their records.

Modified Rules

Early Misfits events featured rules adjustments like no headgear for some bouts, shorter rounds, and different scoring criteria. The promotion has evolved towards more traditional professional boxing rules as it has grown, particularly for main events and title fights.

Key Events and Moments

Misfits has held numerous events since 2022. Some notable ones include:

X Series 1 (2022) - The launch event established the format and drew significant online viewership.

X Series 14 (May 2024) - Featured Salt Papi vs Amadeusz Ferrari at the Troxy in London. Salt Papi, a Filipino TikToker turned boxer, won via corner retirement in the third round.

X Series 17 (August 2024) - One of several events that year as Misfits maintained a consistent schedule.

The promotion has held events in the UK, United States, and other international locations, building a global fanbase.

Notable Fighters

Several names have become recognisable through Misfits Boxing:

• Salt Papi - One of the promotion's biggest stars, building a strong record and developing genuine boxing skills
• KSI - The co-founder who also competes, though he vacated his Misfits title in January 2024 citing other plans
• Deji - KSI's brother, who has had a mixed record but remains a draw
• Slim Albaher - Another prominent figure in the Misfits scene

The fighter roster constantly evolves as new content creators enter and others step away.

How Do Fighters Get Signed?

This is one of the most common questions about Misfits Boxing. The honest answer is that there is no single pathway.

Most Misfits fighters are approached based on their social media following. The promotion values built-in audiences who can sell pay-per-views and fill arenas. If you have millions of followers and express interest in boxing, you are more likely to get a call than if you have five amateur fights but no online presence.

That said, the MF Pro division does sign traditional boxers based on their amateur credentials and potential.

For aspiring influencer boxers, the typical route involves:

1. Building a substantial social media following
2. Publicly training and expressing interest in fighting
3. Getting noticed by the promotion or approaching them
4. Going through their vetting and matchmaking process

Open tryouts have been mentioned but are not a regular feature. The reality is that Misfits selects fighters based on commercial value first and boxing ability second.

The DAZN Partnership

The five-year exclusivity deal with DAZN transformed Misfits from an internet curiosity into a legitimate sports property. Events broadcast globally through the streaming platform, alongside traditional boxing and other combat sports.

This partnership brought production values, international distribution, and credibility that standalone events would have struggled to achieve. It also meant Misfits could offer fighters guaranteed exposure to millions of potential viewers.

One event did break from the DAZN arrangement - a "one-off" broadcast via Rumble - suggesting some flexibility in the partnership.

Impact On Boxing

Misfits Boxing has generated controversy within the traditional boxing community. Critics argue:

• It devalues the sport by putting untrained influencers in the ring
• It draws attention and resources away from genuine professional fighters
• It creates unrealistic expectations about what boxing involves
• Title belts and rankings mean nothing outside the ecosystem

Supporters counter:

• It has introduced millions of young people to boxing who would never have watched otherwise
• Fighters do receive genuine training and take real risks
• It has created economic opportunities in a struggling sport
• Entertainment and sport can coexist

The reality is probably both. Misfits is not traditional boxing. It is sports entertainment with boxing as the vehicle. Whether that helps or hurts the sport depends on how you define the sport's purpose.

Training For Misfits-Style Events

If you are interested in this world - whether as a fighter or just to understand what these influencers go through - the training requirements are real.

Misfits fighters typically:

• Train with professional boxing coaches
• Complete full training camps of 8-12 weeks
• Learn fundamental techniques, footwork, and defence
• Build boxing-specific conditioning
• Spar regularly (with varying intensity)
• Cut weight for designated divisions

The preparation is genuine even if the competitive level differs from elite professional boxing. Fights are real. Punches hurt. Risks exist.

Anyone thinking this looks easy because the fighters are not "real boxers" should try a week of boxing training. The physical demands humble most people quickly.

What Misfits Shows About Boxing's Future

Misfits Boxing represents a broader trend in combat sports - the blurring of entertainment and athletics. UFC embraced personality-driven promotion decades ago. WWE wrestlers have crossed into MMA. Now influencers cross into boxing.

For the sport, this might mean:

• More casual fans discovering boxing through personalities they already follow
• Pressure on traditional boxing to improve its marketing and storytelling
• New revenue streams that could support the broader ecosystem
• Ongoing debates about legitimacy and what constitutes "real" boxing

Traditional boxing is not going anywhere. World championships, undisputed fights, and elite matchups still matter to hardcore fans. But the audience for crossover events shows demand exists for something different - and ignoring that demand will not make it disappear.

Should You Care About Misfits Boxing?

If you love boxing for the craft - the technique, the strategy, the history - Misfits probably is not for you. Watch it with entertainment expectations rather than athletic ones.

If you are curious about boxing and influencer culture brings you in, Misfits can be a gateway. Just understand that elite professional boxing looks very different. The skill gap between a Misfits main eventer and someone like Canelo Alvarez or Oleksandr Usyk is enormous.

And if you are training boxing yourself, watch with analytical eyes. Even at lower skill levels, fights teach lessons. You can see what works, what fails, and what happens when fundamentals break down under pressure.

Boxing is big enough for multiple versions to exist. Misfits has found its audience. Traditional boxing keeps its core. Both can continue without one destroying the other.

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