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Tommy Fury is unbeaten in nine fights
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KSI faces only his second professional bout
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Fury beat Jake Paul on points
Tommy Fury v KSI
Saturday, 22:00
Live on DAZN
Score to settle
Professional boxing returns to the Manchester Arena on Saturday as Tommy Fury faces Olajide William Olatunji, known as world-famous YouTuber KSI. Scheduled for six rounds, Fury aims for a quickfire YouTuber double after beating Jake Paul in Saudi Arabia earlier this year.
Fury and KSI will finally put their long-running feud to bed before a global audience. Followers of professional boxing join Fury's army of fans reality TV followers, boosted by the millions of YouTube subscribers cheering on KSI. One of the most unique professional boxing bouts fought at this famous venue, but it'll be as interesting as any that went before it.
Will Fury extend his professional boxing record to a perfect ten wins, or will KSI move 2-0? Read our big-fight preview, make predictions, and gamble at Betfair.
Fury brings nine wins
The 24-year-old boxer and reality TV star Fury brings a perfect nine-fight record into this contest, with his CV showing 9-0-0 with four stoppage wins. The 6ft orthodox boxer debuted in 2018 with a points win and has slowly climbed the ladder since, improving through the British rankings. He's now the 13th-best cruiserweight in the UK, a list topped by Chris Billam-Smith and Richard Riakporhe.
Despite being a professional fighter for five years, Tommy has amassed just nine bouts, and it remains to be seen which type of boxer he wants to be. Is he happy fighting YouTubers like KSI and Paul, making money and gathering new fans, or does he intend to target domestic honours before climbing into the top 10 and aiming for major titles? Regardless of his long-term plans, Fury must beat KSI convincingly to gain respect among fight fans.
Fury's last fight was that points victory over Jake, handing the YouTuber his first loss in professional boxing. But he didn't win as convincingly as fans had hoped, sneaking a split decision against an inexperienced opponent still finding his way in the game. Fury is 3/10 on the Betfair Sportsbook to bag another victory in Manchester, or you can play the method of victory market. Fury on points will net backers 17/10 while the KO/TKO is 13/10.
KSI in at the deep end
KSI is a long-term lover of boxing and a registered professional. His one previous stint in the ring was a surprise points win against Logan Paul at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. In the six-round contest fought under professional rules, KSI was dropped to the canvas in round four but scrambled to his feet and did enough to impress the scoring judges. That bout ended in a 56-55, 57-54, 55-56 result, with two judges scoring the fight to the Englishman.
The 30-year-old Londoner KSI hasn't been in competitive action since beating Paul in November 2019. Despite four years on the sidelines, he is determined to return at a decent level and faces Fury, jumping in at the deep end. It's a bold move, and KSI deserves credit for agreeing to fight Tommy without mentioning a warm-up contest, but has he bitten off more than he can chew?
The pre-fight betting certainly believes so, with KSI trading at 11/43.75 on the Betfair Sportsbook to go 2-0. He completed the six rounds at a decent pace when beating Logan, so the distance shouldn't be an issue. KSI winning on points is 11/26.50, or you can back a first career stoppage win at 11/26.50, which is sure to be popular with his army of fans and those who know more about YouTube than the noble art.
Keep it simple
There will be plenty of noise, hype, and nonsense during the build-up to this fight, but bettors must keep it simple. This isn't a contest for the boxing purists, and even the armchair fans may struggle to stay interested, but there's value for those gambling on the result. Predicting the outcome and betting at Betfair helps add an extra layer of excitement and drama.
Looking at this from a boxing writer's stance, we have an improving and experienced pro in Fury, who boxed earlier this year. Tommy is always fit and sharp, and that'll show on Saturday. Will he beat a novice, making his second fight and first in four years? If he's serious about achieving anything in British boxing, he shouldn't be losing to a novice, and the Manchester crowd will help spur him on to a convincing win.