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KSI vs. Faze Temper reportedly pulled in over 300,000 pay-per-view buys on DAZN.
'The Nightmare' returned to action last Saturday night in the U.K. While the British star was supposed to initially fight Dillon Danis, 'El Jefe' withdrew earlier this month with claims that he was unprepared.
As a result, Thomas Oliveira, also known as Faze Temper, got the nod for the headlining role. In the makeshift sixth-round main event, the Brazilian was brutally knocked out in the first round.
On the undercard, names such as Salt Papi and former KSI opponent Luis Alcaraz Pineda made headlines for their own victories. All in all, it was a successful week for the upstart Misfits Boxing promotion, which had recently inked a five-year deal with DAZN.
We now know that the pay-per-view also did big business last week. As first reported by veteran boxing journalist Gareth A Davies, the card did upwards of 300,000 pay-per-view buys through DAZN.
The numbers are solid, especially compared to another recent pay-per-view. Gervonta Davis vs. Hector Luis Garcia, which took place two weeks ago, reportedly did 61,000 on Showtime.
In comparison to KSI's last fight in August, he reportedly made 445,000 pay-per-view buys. However, it's worth noting that the Brit fought two opponents in one night, which is a rare feat. It was also his first fight in over three years.
KSI hits back at crossover boxing critics
KSI wants to make it clear that crossover boxing is here to stay, and given DAZN's pay-per-view numbers, it's hard to argue with him.
Since the beginning of the YouTube boxing trend, it's been a controversial subject amongst fans, media, and the boxers themselves. Names such as Mike Tyson and Ryan Garcia have praised the incoming flux of influencers.
However, it hasn't been all love. Names such as Claressa Shields have previously blasted individuals such as Jake Paul. The common criticism thrown around is that the crossover boxing events make the sport, as a whole, look bad.
In a recent YouTube video, KSI took time to hit back at critics of YouTubers competing. In the video, the Brit explained that the success of crossover boxing is more tied to the decline of the sport than anything else.
He stated:
"We get so much slack from the traditional boxer, and that scene basically hates us. They keep on going off, 'We're bad for boxing, blah, blah, blah', and I'm looking at them like, 'this is all your fault.' The big fights, you can never make happen... If anything, all these boxing purists going at us, we're not the problem. Look on your own side."
See his comments below (13:00):
