Who is Oladeji Daniel “Deji” Olatunji, Floyd Mayweather’s next rival?
It’s not everyday you get to take on a GOAT in their respective sport, but that’s exactly what the YouTuber turned boxer is about to do. Let’s take a look at who he is.
As a social media sensation and younger brother of mega famous YouTuber KSI, Deji is no stranger to attention, but his next moment in th spotlight will be something very different when he takes on boxing legend Floyd Mayweather.
From “failure” to victory: A look at the man they call Deji
Born Oladeji Daniel Olatunji, “Deji” as he’s known to fans comes from a successful turn as a social media influencer. With 16.2 million followers and subscribers worldwide, he certainly understands how to handle a crowd and that may be in no small part due to his older brother KSI - real name Olajide Olayinka Williams Olatunji - who is one of the most famous YouTubers of all time. Indeed, it was KSI who was the first between the brothers to make the jump from social media to the boxing ring. Of course, it wasn’t long before Deji followed, eventually stepping in to the ring for the first time to face Jake Paul on the undercard of his older brother’s fight against Paul’s older brother Logan in what was an all-out family affair. Though he would lose that inaugural bout, it was clear it wouldn’t be his last.
Next up would be a fight against Vinnie Hacker at a YouTube vs TikTok event in June of 2021. Unfortunately, after gaining a significant amount of weight for the fight, Deji couldn’t cut it and conceded the fight on his feet after two rounds. “I’m sorry, I am a failure” were the words that he would later tweet following his defeat. From there, the 25-year-old secured a fight with Alex Wassabi declaring that he would walk away from the ring if he lost. After switching gyms and training with coach Daley Perales, Deji began to look the part. Sadly, the fates weren’t having it and once again he would taste defeat, this time by a tight points-based decision. Following the fight, an emotional Deji told his fans: “If you guys want me to fight again, I’ll show you what I can do.”
Deji gets his first win
By now it was clear that Deji didn’t intend to give up and with that, the young boxer started to train heavier than ever until eventually, he secured a fight against fellow online personality, Fousey. This time around, his improvement was clear to see as his fitness and skillset were clearly up from where they had been previously. More than anything it was his mindset that allowed him to stop Fousey in three rounds. Following his win, he let fans know exactly where the victory came from. “I have the best team ever. I have Daley, the best boxing coach ever, ever. I have Leon, the best PT in the game and I have everyone out there showing their love. And that brought me out.”
A legend comes calling: Deji vs Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Though it was clear that the world of social media was beginning to take notice of Deji’s skill set, few could have guessed what was about to come next. Global Titans, a newly-launched promotion company based in Dubai had just signed the man himself, Floyd Mayweather Jr. to an exclusive deal and were on the hunt for an opponent for his first exhibition bout under their flag. Enter Deji. As per reports, the influencer’s name was at the top of the list of potential opponents for manager Liam Chivers and ultimately a deal was cut with Mayweather’s team within two weeks. Their bout is set for Sunday 13th, November at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai and promises to be something special.