KSI is known for arranging major boxing events, and he believed he was close to securing perhaps the sport`s biggest fight: welcoming Conor McGregor back to the ring.
The social media star turned combat sports enthusiast attempted to organize the fight against McGregor at Alcatraz Island near San Francisco. However, the Irish superstar ultimately declined the opportunity. McGregor himself had mentioned the potential return and offer in March, though without naming KSI as the opponent, stating that it “wasn’t my worth.”
“I’m happy with what I’ve done,” McGregor said. “There was an opportunity or a deal, we’ll say, to fight in Alcatraz only recent. There’s an event going on in Alcatraz in I believe June. And they came to me and it wasn’t my worth.”
Addressing the proposed match, KSI stated he wasn`t given a clear reason why McGregor passed on the fight. He also acknowledged that the former two-division UFC champion currently has many commitments outside of combat sports.
“We had a fight set up and Conor said no,” KSI commented on the Misfits Boxing YouTube channel. “I don’t know, it could be money, it could be his mindset. It could be a lot of reasons. Honestly, I don’t think he knows what he’s going to be doing the next day. He’s all over the place. One minute he wants to be the prime minister of Ireland, the next he wants to do a random side quest. Who cares. It is what it is. But let him do his thing. It is what it is. I’m going to just move on and do me.”
Significant doubt surrounds whether McGregor will ever compete again, especially after a broken toe caused his withdrawal from a planned 2024 fight against Michael Chandler. Since that fight fell apart, McGregor has largely focused on developing BKFC as a co-owner of the bare-knuckle promotion and pursuing a campaign for President of Ireland.
Even UFC CEO Dana White recently expressed skepticism about McGregor`s chances of returning, stating he didn`t expect the 36-year-old fighter to compete again “anytime soon.”
While McGregor`s fighting future seems uncertain, KSI vowed he is working hard to return to the ring, although an injury will keep him sidelined for the immediate future.
He previously missed a scheduled fight against Dillon Danis in March due to illness.
Now, KSI reports he`s suffering from a hand injury that will require surgery before he can properly train for his comeback.
“For me, I want to fight again,” KSI explained. “I just need to fix my hand. I’ve told my audience, I’ve told a lot of people, I can’t punch. Every time I push [my index finger] in, it hurts. I’ve had this injury for about a year. I’ve tried to fight through it, it just doesn’t work. I think for me now, I’m going to have surgery, get that sorted and then slowly get some rehab just to get it back to where it was again. Where I was knocking people out and then we can go from there and then we can have the big fights again. For right now, I think I’m going to be out for a bit.”
