YouTuber Olajide 'KSI' Olatunji beat fellow vlogger Joe Weller in front of a sell-out crowd at London’s Copper Box Arena this past weekend in front of a peak live YouTube audience of 1.6 million – showing the scale and popularity of the site.
KSI, who has more than 17.5 million subscribers on the site, won the bout, the main event of a special evening of inter-YouTuber fights held in front of 7,500 people, in the third round after the referee stopped the bout.
After his victory, KSI, who won a special championship belt, set out a challenge to Jake and Logan Paul, the controversial American YouTubers, for a future fight.
KSI lived up to his promise to “come like a thousand trains” at Weller, dominating the bout from the beginning, at one point even smashing his own chest before delivering the decisive blow that delivered him the victory.
According to The Sunday Times, more than £100,000 was staked on the fight with British bookmakers and since Saturday, the two official videos of the match on KSI and Weller’s channels have received over 20 million views.
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It’s just the latest event off the site that KSI has been involved in. The YouTuber, who first came to fame playing FIFA on the site, has regularly appeared at special YouTube football matches, some of which have attracted 25,000 fans.
The fans in attendance at the boxing match on Saturday were largely supportive of Weller, though many were there more because of their love of the YouTubers involved, rather than any affinity with boxing.
Dean Piper and his children left their home in Port Talbot, Wales, at 11am on Saturday to drive down to London especially for the fight.
“It’s been a long journey,” said Piper. “But the kids got the tickets for Christmas. They love the YouTubers.”
13-year-old Maya Pollock was attending her first boxing match with her father and a friend. “I’m not really here for the boxing,” she said. “I’m here because of the YouTubers.
“I watch both Joe and KSI on YouTube and it’s been really hyped up,” she added.
“Everyone’s going to be watching it and talking about it.”
