The full undercard has been set for the latest MF & DAZN X Series, preceding the headline act between YouTubers Jay Swingler and Nicholai Perrett (NichLmao) on March 4.
Eight fights will be taking place before Swingler and Perrett step into the ring in the latest event in the series.
Prankster Kenny Ojuederie and model Astrid Wett, who made headlines for trying to kiss Misfits co-founder KSI at a weigh-in, are among the names on the bill.
Here’s who’s fighting across the card at MF & DAZN: X Series 5.
MF & DAZN: X Series 5 full undercard
Kenny Ojuederie vs. Ashley Tebi Rak-Su (Cruiserweight)
‘King Kenny’ has won twice since losing to FaZe Temperrr on the undercard of Deji’s clash with Alex Wassabi in March 2022. The Londoner now faces a musician with a 1-1 record who describes himself as a “good vibes spreader” and “terrible boxer”.
Deen TheGreat vs. Pully Arif (MF lightweight title)
The Great – also known as Nurideen Shabazz – knocked out Walid Sharks at Misfits and DAZN’s third event to extend his perfect pro career to two fights. Arif can match that record, having beaten Tommy Mulligan and Kane Ramsay during the second half of 2022.
B Dave & Luis Pineda vs. IcePoseidon & Anthony Vargas (Light-heavyweight tag team boxing match)
After being knocked out by KSI on the same night when the promotion’s figurehead also beat Swarmz, Pineda bounced back with a chaotic win over BDave, before KSI beat Faze Temperrr. That defeat to Pineda by unanimous decision was Los Angeles fighter BDave’s first of his three-fight career.
The pair will now take place in the tag-team fight against internet personalities and rookie boxers IcePoseidon and Vargas.
Walid Sharks vs. N&A Productions (Lightweight)
Baghdad-born, Detroit-based Walid Muhsein has an Instagram following of more than 433,000 and drew with Adam Saleh in 2021 on the same card as his next opponent. Dubai-based Iranian Amir Fotoohi lost to Slim Albaher. Fotoohi – better known as N&A Productions – beat Adnan Bin Sultan later that year but has not fought since.
Astrid Wett vs. AJ Bunker (Vacant flyweight title)
Wett scored a first-round knockout of musician Keeley in her only fight so far, appearing on the undercard of Jay Swingler vs. Cherdleys in October 2022.
“I can tell you now that I’d rather die than get a stoppage from Astrid Wett,” AJ Bunker retorted to her fellow model and boxer at a press conference to promote their fight.
Bunker lost by decision to Elle Brooke and beat Tasha Kiran by the same method in 2022.
Ginty vs. Halal Ham (Cruiserweight)
Comedy video creator Ginty is looking to return to winning ways after following up a victory over Kayrhys on his debut with a brutal knockout defeat to JMX on the Swingler vs. Cherdleys bill. Ginty’s next opponent, Scunthorpe social media star Hamad Khan, beat DTG on the same night to improve his record to 2-1.
Tempo Arts vs. Mansa Godson (Heavyweight)
Mega-popular British-Nigerian jeweler British-Nigerian jeweler Godson Umeh makes his debut against Tempo Arts, a fitness, boxing, gym and weight loss enthusiast who won his only fight to date in 2022.
What is Misfits Boxing?
KSI announced in June 2021 that he would be setting up Misfits Boxing alongside his management team, Proper Loud, and agency Wasserman, who had set up a new boxing division of their business. Wasserman had previously bought Team Sauerland, the promotion company run by high-profile boxing businessmen Kalle and Nisse Sauerland.
The move seemed a wise one given the burgeoning trend for crossover fights, largely driven by UFC icon Conor McGregor’s boxing match against ring great Floyd Mayweather in 2017, which was one of the most lucrative sporting events of all time.
“This is a major move for the boxing and entertainment industries,” said Kalle Sauerland, Wasserman’s head of global boxing. “KSI is a megastar with huge crossover appeal. He knows how to market himself and he knows how to sell events. He will bring a new audience to the sport of boxing.”
Sauerland, who made his name by promoting huge bouts between established boxers, played down criticism that crossover events lacked sporting merit and fears that fights could endanger participants by mismatching rookie pugilists against skilled opponents. There was particular derision for crossover events around the time Misfits Boxing was formed because of a farcically uneventful exhibition fight between Paul’s YouTuber brother, Logan, and Mayweather.
“The idea is not to make KSI, or whoever is in this stable, fight against Floyd Mayweather or [former world champion] Carl Froch or all these fights which are so clearly fakes,” Sauerland told Talksport. “They’re fakes. I haven’t even watched the [Mayweather vs Logan] fight – not interested. But if a young man or woman is prepared to go through the grit and mill to become a professional boxer – and at the same time that brings eyeballs to our sport because they happen to have a profile – it doesn’t matter to me if he’s a milkman or a YouTuber with 30 million subscribers, that is something that we do.
B̶o̶x̶i̶n̶g̶ 𝘈𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 day in the gym for @KSI 🥊 @MF_DAZNXSeries | #KSIDanis pic.twitter.com/RFAXVuQcl4
— Misfits Boxing (@MisfitsBoxing) December 26, 2022
“The idea is to create a stable of these young men and women who will be matched with each other. It is a trend.”
Sauerland claimed that some “A-listers” had asked for fights but walked away when they realised the commitment and exertion required to box.
“It’s a bit of a difference when you get smashed in the face,” he added. “You’ve got to give [Misfits fighters] credit for actually approaching the sport in a professional manner. If they were saying, ‘Right, yeah, we’ll take the payday but we’re not gonna take this seriously’, that’s a very different thing.
“If they’re prepared to go the length on it in the gym and their profile means that they are worth so much commercially, I’m not going to turn a blind eye to it, am I?”
MF & DAZN: X Series – What is KSI’s deal with DAZN?
Days before KSI was set to fight FaZe Temperrr, DAZN announced that all KSI fights and MF & DAZN: X Series events would be broadcast exclusively on the platform for the next five years.
DAZN said that almost two million global viewers had watched the first show in the series, with highlights and build-up content generating a further 30 million views across DAZNs social platforms.
“This is a massive agreement between everyone involved with Misfits Boxing,” said a suitably satisfied KSI. “I personally couldn’t be more excited for what this means for everyone moving forwards. It just shows everyone is here to establish a long-serving crossover boxing promotion that aims to provide ultimate entertainment and somewhere the fans and fighters can call home.”
Taylor called the agreement “truly a historic event” and claimed it would change “the dynamics of the entire ‘crossover’ boxing industry.”
Misfits 5: Jay Swingler vs Nicholai Perrett: Full card
In addition to the headline attraction and the tag-team bout, pornstar, Astrid Wett returns against AJ Bunker, and King Kenny fights Ashley Tebi.
- Jay Swingler vs Nicholai Perrett
- King Kenny vs Ashley Tebi
- Deen The Great vs Pully Arif
- Luis Pineda & BDave vs Stromedy & Austin Sprinz
- Walid Sharks vs N&A Productions
- Astrid Wett sv AJ Bunker
- Ginty vs Halal Ham
- Tempo Arts vs Godson
