KSI v Logan Paul: YouTube fight rivals turn professional for rematch in Los Angeles

One of the three judges had KSI (right) ahead in the majority draw against Logan Paul in August

A pair of YouTube rivals who clashed in a sold-out boxing match have turned professional and signed up for a rematch in the United States.

KSI and Logan Paul shared a majority draw in a fight before 15,000 fans at the Manchester Arena in August 2018 which reportedly attracted a live TV pay-per-view audience of one million.

They will meet again at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on 9 November.

Briton KSI and US star Paul boast about 20 million subscribers each.

The rematch – to be shown live on streaming service DAZN – will be presented by British promoter Eddie Hearn, whose Matchroom Boxing outfit also represents former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, and OP Talent.

KSI and Logan Paul at the weigh-in before their first fight

Matchroom say the fighters turned professional after passing medicals last week and will come face to face again at a press conference in LA on 14 September, with another in the UK to follow.

“Finally, after over a year since our rematch, I get to enter the ring once again to fight Logan Paul,” said KSI. “If I’m being honest, I didn’t fight well at all in the first fight, and even then, I still managed to draw against him.

“This time I won’t make it so close, especially now that it’s a pro fight, no head guards and 10oz gloves.”

Paul said: “Last fight, KSI couldn’t beat me with only three months of training under my belt. For the past year, while JJ has been wasting his time trying to become a rapper, I’ve been training every single day.”

The first fight was described by promoters as the “largest live pay-per-view sports event in the history of the internet”.

Hearn admitted his view had changed after initially believing the idea of the pair fighting at the Manchester Arena was “embarrassing”.

“What I saw was a phenomenon; a sold-out arena, over one million PPV buys but more importantly an energy of a new audience to the sport of boxing,” he said,

He promised a “world championship” undercard for the main fight.

Britain’s WBO super-middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders, who recently joined Matchroom, has been linked with appearing on the bill.