Deji Olatunji Fight Record: A Comprehensive Look at the YouTuber‘s Boxing Career
Oladeji Daniel Olatunji, better known by his online alias "Deji", has made quite a name for himself in the world of social media and boxing over the past few years. As the younger brother of KSI, one of YouTube‘s biggest stars who has also ventured into music and boxing, Deji has followed a similar path – transitioning from a successful career as a gaming YouTuber and vlogger to testing his skills in the boxing ring.
Since his amateur boxing debut in 2018, Deji has become a prominent figure in the growing trend of social media influencers entering the world of combat sports. His fights have generated huge buzz and pay-per-view numbers, drawing in both his loyal online fanbase and boxing enthusiasts curious to see how he fares against other celebrities and professional fighters.
In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll take a detailed look at Deji‘s fight record, analyzing each of his performances, exploring his boxing style and stats, and assessing what the future may hold for the 25-year-old YouTuber turned boxer. Whether you‘re a die-hard fan or just intrigued by the spectacle of influencers stepping into the ring, here‘s everything you need to know about Deji Olatunji‘s fighting career.
Deji‘s Boxing Debut vs Jake Paul (2018)
Deji‘s first foray into boxing came in August 2018 when he faced off against fellow YouTuber Jake Paul in an amateur match on the undercard of the KSI vs Logan Paul event in Manchester, England. With a chance to settle his online beef with Jake in the ring and prove himself as a fighter like his older brother, there was a lot on the line for Deji.
However, things didn‘t go as planned for the then 21-year-old. Despite a valiant effort, Deji was outclassed by the more experienced Jake Paul. The American controlled the fight from the outset with his jab and superior boxing fundamentals. By the fifth round, Deji was exhausted, and his corner made the decision to throw in the towel to save him from further punishment. The loss was a humbling experience for Deji, but also one that lit a fire under him to improve and come back stronger.
Deji vs Vinnie Hacker (2021)
Nearly three years after his defeat to Jake Paul, Deji returned to the ring in June 2021 to take on TikTok star Vinnie Hacker at the Battle of the Platforms event in Miami. Hoping to redeem himself and show his growth as a boxer, Deji came out aggressive from the opening bell and found some success early.
He appeared to take the first couple rounds with his forward pressure and looping shots. However, Hacker began to take over down the stretch as Deji faded. In the third round, Hacker turned up the heat, unloading a barrage of punches that sent a gassed out Deji stumbling around the ring. The referee had seen enough and called a stop to the contest, handing Deji his second TKO loss.
While he had his moments, this fight exposed Deji‘s lack of stamina and defensive liabilities. It was clear there were still many holes in his game that needed patching up if he wanted to find success in boxing.
Deji vs Alex Wassabi (2022)
Deji‘s chance for redemption would come nine months later in March 2022 against American YouTuber Alex Wassabi. Headlining the Showstar UK event at the SSE Arena Wembley, this was Deji‘s biggest stage yet. And though he ultimately came up short, losing a split decision, the Brit showed marked improvements from his previous fights.
Boxing with more poise and patience, Deji outworked Wassabi in the early rounds behind a steady jab and solid footwork. However, Wassabi came on strong in the second half, landing the harder shots and putting Deji on the backfoot. After five closely contested rounds, the judges were split, but two of the three favored Wassabi, dealing Deji a razor-thin defeat.
Despite the disappointing result, Deji‘s performance against Wassabi demonstrated his continued growth as a boxer and that he was beginning to put the pieces together. His cardio, defense, and ring IQ all looked noticeably better, offering hope that a victory inside the squared circle was on the horizon.
Breakthrough Win vs Fousey (2022)
After starting his boxing career 0-3, Deji finally got his hand raised in August 2022, scoring a 3rd round knockout of fellow YouTuber Fousey at the O2 Arena in London. In front of an electrified crowd, Deji dominated the fight from the jump.
Looking the most comfortable he ever had inside the ropes, Deji expertly picked Fousey apart with fast hands and thudding shots to the body and head. By the third round, a wounded Fousey could barely keep his hands up as Deji blasted him with power punches from all angles. A left hook sent Fousey crumpling to the canvas and the referee immediately called it off, awarding Deji the well-deserved KO victory.
The impressive showing not only gave Deji his first taste of winning, but proved he was an improved fighter with legitimate skills and fight-ending power. With Fousey being a skilled boxer in his own right, this was by far Deji‘s biggest scalp to date and a real confidence booster moving forward.
Exhibition Bout vs Floyd Mayweather (2022)
Just three months after beating Fousey, Deji would get the chance to share the ring with boxing royalty – the legendary Floyd Mayweather Jr. While only an exhibition match, this was still a massive opportunity and honor for Deji to test himself against one of the greatest fighters of all time.
Giving up significant size, experience, and skill, Deji was unsurprisingly outgunned by Mayweather over the course of their six round contest. Floyd carried his foe, putting on a show for the fans, while Deji to his credit showed a lot of heart and never stopped throwing punches. He even appeared to give Floyd a black eye, though Mayweather claimed it happened in training, not from a Deji punch.
In the sixth and final round, Mayweather decided he had seen enough and stepped on the gas, unleashing a flurry that prompted the referee to step in and stop the fight. Though overmatched, Deji gave a good account of himself and earned praise from Floyd afterwards. "I‘m proud of Deji. He‘s a tough competitor. He‘ll be a champion in boxing," Mayweather said of his opponent.
Deji echoed a similar sentiment on Twitter, writing, "I gave Floyd Mayweather a black eye. I landed many punches on the best fighter of all time. I‘d like to see Jake Paul and the other sheep try it."
Deji Boxing Stats and Fighting Style
So what do we know about Deji as a fighter so far? From a physical standpoint, Deji is roughly 5‘10" and fights between 170-175 pounds, putting him in the light heavyweight/cruiserweight range. He‘s got a muscular build and has shown decent punching power, especially to the body.
Stylistically, Deji is a come forward pressure fighter who likes to cut off the ring and let his hands go. He‘s developed a solid jab and one-two combinations, but can still be a bit wild and loopy with his power shots. Defensively, he‘s gotten better at using head movement and footwork to make himself harder to hit, but there‘s still room for improvement.
Stamina and pacing himself has been Deji‘s biggest issue to date. In his losses to Jake Paul and Vinnie Hacker, he faded badly down the stretch as his gas tank emptied. He seemed to solve that problem against Alex Wassabi and Fousey, but fighting in shorter 3-5 round fights certainly helped.
As of early 2023, Deji‘s professional boxing record stands at 1 win (1 by knockout) and 0 losses. His overall record including amateur and exhibition bouts is 1 win, 4 losses, 0 draws.
(Note: This section will need to be updated with any fights or changes to Deji‘s record that occur in 2024 and 2024)
The Future of Deji‘s Boxing Career
Having finally gotten over the hump and secured his first win, the question is what lies ahead for Deji in boxing? At 25 years old, he‘s still very young in the sport and has shown a great deal of improvement in a short time. Given his popularity and the novelty of being KSI‘s brother, he should have no shortage of opportunities for big fights and paydays.
Rematches with any of his past opponents like Jake Paul, Vinnie Hacker, or Alex Wassabi would generate a ton of interest. There‘s also a host of other YouTubers, TikTokers, and celebrities that have entered the boxing world that could make intriguing matchups for Deji. Some potential options that come to mind are Bryce Hall, Austin McBroom, AnEsonGib, and Slim Albaher.
Of course, if Deji is serious about being taken seriously as a professional boxer, he‘ll eventually need to step up his level of competition. While fighting other influencers is good for views and the bank account, it won‘t earn him respect amongst hardcore boxing fans. Facing actual pro boxers and contenders would go a long way in legitimizing Deji as something more than a novelty act.
Personally, I believe Deji has a ton of potential as a fighter. He‘s shown excellent commitment to training, and getting steadily better each time out. The win over Fousey showed he has the ability to be a force in the ring. If he can continue to shore up his weaknesses, the sky is the limit for how far his boxing career can go.
YouTubers and Boxing: The New Trend
Deji is far from the only social media star to make the transition to boxing in recent years. Since the first KSI vs Joe Weller match in 2018, we‘ve seen an explosion of YouTubers either entering the ring or calling out other influencers.
The Paul brothers, Jake and Logan, have been at the forefront of this movement. Both have headlined major pay-per-views and earned massive purses to fight boxing legends like Floyd Mayweather and former MMA champions like Ben Askren and Tyron Woodley. Other names like Austin McBroom, AnEsonGib, and DDG have also gotten in on the action.
So what‘s driving this new trend? For one, novelty and spectacle sells. Seeing larger-than-life online personas settle their beefs in the ring is compelling theatre. The way these bouts are promoted, usually with diss tracks, heated press conferences, and shenanigans, only adds to the must-see factor.
There‘s also a ton of money to be made. The KSI vs Logan Paul fight in 2018 reportedly generated over 1 million pay-per-view buys and $3.5 million in revenue. Jake Paul‘s fight against Nate Robinson in November 2020 is said to have done 1.6 million buys. For reference, that‘s more than the UFC, boxing‘s top promotion, has ever done on pay-per-view.
For the YouTubers themselves, boxing gives them a chance to expand their brand, create new content, and make crazy amounts of cash. It‘s also an opportunity to gain respect and prove they‘re more than just "internet famous." Seeing guys like KSI and Jake Paul hold their own against actual fighters has earned them a lot of credibility.
As for what it means for the sport of boxing, that‘s harder to say. Undoubtedly, these influencers are bringing new eyeballs and generating interest in a sport that‘s fallen behind MMA in recent years. The flipside is some boxing purists feel it‘s cheapening and making a mockery of the sweet science. The way these fights are often pure moneygrabs and freak show spectacles rubs certain fans the wrong way.
Love it or hate it though, it doesn‘t seem this crossover of influencers and boxing is going away anytime soon. As long as there‘s massive amounts of money to be made and clout to be gained, expect to see more and more YouTubers entering the squared circle. Guys like Deji and his brother KSI are at the forefront of this movement and it will be fascinating to see how far they can take it.
