KSI expects his win over Fournier to be struck, but that doesn’t change his plan to move on and box Tommy Fury next.
KSI isn’t happy that his big knockout win over Joe Fournier has been tainted after video replay showed it was caused by an illegal elbow. But the social media superstar has no intention of fighting Fournier again, even if their Misfits Boxing 007 fight result is overturned.
KSI (real name Olajide Olatunji) appeared on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani to discuss the controversy surrounding his win.
“That one moment has just destroyed or just ruined everything that I worked for,” he said. “And I don’t know, it was just frustrating, and it really pissed me off if I’m being honest. Because I’m looking online and everyone was like, ‘Elbow, elbow, forearm, you cheated, you cheat, you cheat, should be disqualified!’”
“And I’m like, ‘Bro, I just went for a right hook.’ I went for a right hook because I knew he was trying to clinch me. I don’t know, it was frustrating.”
KSI pointed to how he was beating Fournier soundly leading up to the accidental elbow.
“I just think that’s ludicrous,” he said. “I’m winning the fight, I’m winning everything about the fight. I literally rocked you with an overhand. Why would I want to elbow you, bro? It’s just so ludicrous. It literally makes no sense.”
Fournier has gone ahead and officially contested the outcome of the fight with the PBA. He’s got a strong case: there’s several angles of the finishing blow that clearly show it being all elbow.
“Obviously I know Joe Fournier has appealed and all that,” KSI said. “With the PBA, if it’s a no contest, I’m fine. I’d be pissed if it was a disqualification because I didn’t try to intentionally hit him with my forearm or elbow or whatever. Like, I came through with a right hook to knock him out when he tried to clinch me because I knew he was trying to scramble to save his life after I hit him with an overhand.”
Should be overturned, dude hit an elbow to commemorate Matt Brown who fought tonight. KSI bringing MMA into a boxing ring pic.twitter.com/4q8mjdvC6y
— Zoheb MMA (@ZohebMMA) May 13, 2023
“So if it’s a no contest, fine. It is what it is, yeah? I’ll just move on, and I’ll have five wins, zero losses, one draw, and one no contest. People in the future could just look it up and see the situation. I think I’m at peace with a no contest, I don’t really mind. I’m a fair guy, it is what it is, I don’t need a win. For me, the reason I came back was to knock out Jake Paul. These are all just side quests to get to Jake Paul, but now I can indirectly destroy Jake Paul’s legacy by beating Tommy Fury.”
KSI had Fury ringside for his fight against Fournier and has said he still plans to fight Tommy next, no matter what happens with the Fournier result. Fury beat Paul via split decision back in February, and now KSI hopes to show he’s ready for a “Problem Child” fight by knocking out Fury. As for Joe Fournier?
“At least now Joe Fornier doesn’t look like a loser,” KSI joked. “He can be like, ‘Ah, because of the whole no contest, it doesn’t really count.’ Even though I was all over him, but yeah.”