KSI is done fighting. At Misfits 30 in London on Saturday, the YouTuber who built influencer boxing announced his retirement, returned as Misfits Boxing CEO, and signed Michael 'Venom' Page, a fighter who went 5-1 in the UFC before the UFC let him walk. The crowd booed. The business move is still the smartest thing KSI has done in years.
⚡ Key Takeaways
- KSI confirmed his boxing retirement at Misfits 30 in London and returned as Misfits Boxing CEO, executive role only.
- He signed Michael 'Venom' Page (5-1 in the UFC, 26-3 in MMA) to a multi-fight, multi-year deal after the UFC let him go.
- Jake Paul had publicly lobbied for Page in September. KSI won the talent war anyway.
- The crowd booed the speech, and the Essex vs. Dapper Laughs main event ended in a 38-38 draw.
- The lesson for creators: ownership outlasts the main-event slot, but your audience won't automatically follow you into the front office.
What actually happened?
KSI walked into the ring at the Copper Box Arena on October 10 and told the room "'The Nightmare' has retired," per Yahoo Sports. He also confirmed he is back as Misfits Boxing CEO, in an executive role only, according to DAZN. He hasn't fought since losing a six-round unanimous decision to Tommy Fury in October 2023, so the retirement mostly makes official what his calendar already said.
Then came the signing. Page agreed to a "multi-fight, multi-year agreement" and will make his boxing debut "in the coming months," reports ESPN. He went 5-1 in the UFC after joining in December 2023, closing with a unanimous decision over Nursulton Ruziboev in September, per Sherdog. His overall MMA record sits at 26-3, and the UFC still declined to renew him during a four-fight win streak, according to Yahoo Sports.
The room hated it. The speech drew boos, and Bloody Elbow branded the in-ring promo cringe-inducing. KSI's attempt to start an anti-Jake Paul chant died on arrival. The main event between Joey Essex and Dapper Laughs then ended in a 38-38 draw that Bloody Elbow called a disaster.
Why does this matter for creators?
Because this is what it looks like when a creator stops being the product. For years KSI's body was the asset, and bodies depreciate. A promotion with a roster, a calendar and its own IP doesn't take punches. Swapping the main-event slot for the CEO chair is the move most creators never make in time.
The Page signing proves the title isn't vanity. Jake Paul publicly pitched for Page in September, posting "Think it's time to bring MVP to MVP," per Yahoo Sports. KSI landed him anyway. In the talent war with his longtime rival, that's a clean win, and it came from the boardroom, not the ring.
"I feel free. That's all I can say, I feel free. The shackles are off, and now, with my brother KSI, Mams, the Misfits team, oh, I can create some big memories here, some big moments."
Michael 'Venom' Page, Misfits Boxing signee, Yahoo Sports
What's the bigger picture?
Misfits has had a strange year of leadership theater. In October 2025, Andrew Tate declared himself the promotion's "new CEO," and KSI called it "the dumbest thing I've ever seen in my life," per Newsweek. Tate then lost to Chase DeMoor by majority decision in Dubai on December 20, 2025, per Wikipedia. Now KSI has the title back and is signing proven combat athletes instead of only booking other influencers.
That redraws the influencer-boxing map. KSI and Jake Paul both started as the attraction, and now both are executives fighting over real fighters. The next era of creator boxing is about rosters, not YouTubers settling beef.
The boos are the real lesson, though. An audience that paid for a personality doesn't automatically follow that personality into the front office. Ownership only pays off if the product works without the founder throwing punches. Page's boxing debut is the first real test of whether Misfits can stand on its roster.
What does Fanvault think?
Fanvault thinks KSI made the right call, and that creators shouldn't need a boxing promotion to start owning their business. A combat-sports athlete or fitness creator can run tiered memberships, paywalled posts, paid DMs, tips and wishlists from one Fanvault storefront, and sell authenticated memorabilia (signed items, tournament gear, one-of-ones) through auctions and buy-it-now drops. They keep 92% at an 8% platform fee, versus 15% at Fanvue, 10% + $0.30 at Passes and ~20% at Fanfix, while the automation layer handles listings, scheduling and DM triage in-app or on Telegram. KSI had to leave the ring to become the owner, but the smartest creators build the ownership layer while they're still the main event.
KSI spent a decade selling himself. Now he's selling a company, and that's the only fight of his career that actually compounds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did KSI retire from boxing?
Yes. At Misfits 30 at London's Copper Box Arena on October 10, 2026, KSI told the crowd "'The Nightmare' has retired," per Yahoo Sports. His last fight was a six-round unanimous decision loss to Tommy Fury in
Is KSI the CEO of Misfits Boxing again?
Yes. KSI returned as Misfits Boxing CEO in an executive capacity only, according to DAZN. That follows Andrew Tate's October 2025 claim to the title, which KSI called "the dumbest thing I've ever seen in my life."
Who is Michael 'Venom' Page and why does his signing matter?
Page is a UFC and Bellator veteran who went
Why did fans boo KSI at Misfits 30?
The in-ring promo was widely mocked as cringe-inducing, KSI's anti-Jake Paul chant never caught on, and Page's segment drew "boring" chants. The main event then ended in a 38-38 draw that Bloody Elbow called a disaster.