YouTube star Deji has been laser-focused on finally picking up a boxing win on his fourth attempt, and admits that he has neglected fight promotion as a result.
The Brit, whose brother KSI will fight two men on the same night at The O2 arena on Saturday night either side of his return, has gone 0-3 in the YouTube boxing space, including losses to Jake Paul and Alex Wassabi. He is now set to face Yusef 'Fousey' Erakat, who lost his 2019 debut to Slim Albaher, with the winner finally getting a victory after a collective four fights.
But in order to get laser-focused ahead of this weekend, Deji has opted not to post to his 10million+ subscriber YouTube channel with regularity and put his head down in training. He was under-trained for his debut against Paul and his embarrassing second loss to model Vinnie Hacker, but has been working hard with trainer Daley Perales since his camp for Wassabi and is now fitter than ever.
"I've been focusing on myself, really," he told Mirror Fighting . "Before, I just didn't care for all of that and now I really just want to show people what I can with my fists, it's as simple as that. I punch way too hard!"
There has been a long-standing rivalry between Deji and 'Fousey', with the pair trading barbs at pre-fight media events for last summer's Social Gloves event in Miami. At the time, the American wasn't keen to fight again following a vicious stoppage in his first outing, but he has since joined JackRabbit Boxing in California and has a new lease of life in his boxing career.
Do you think Deji will snap his losing run in YouTube boxing on Saturday night against Fousey? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!
Now, Deji insists that there is no bad blood between the pair and that this is solely an athletic contest between two men desperate for a win. The victor, given both of their massive fanbases, will likely be immediately elevated back to major fights in the scene even though neither would have a winning record.
"I don't really dislike this guy," Deji continued. "For me to dislike him would mean I care about him and he's just there and someone who I'm fighting. I guess because we have 10oz gloves and no headgear I would say it is dangerous, but then again, we'll see on Saturday night."
The pair will take part in one of the headline attractions on a night when Deji's brother KSI faces both rapper Swarmz and Mexican journeyman Luis Pineda in London. The event will be broadcaster DAZN's first pay-per-view offering, with a massive audience expected to tune in despite the two paywalls for the show after selling out The O2 arena.
