In what could be dubbed the “Battle of Brexit”, Nigel Farage has issued a challenge to Prime Minister Boris Johnson to enter the ring and face off in a boxing match.
Laying down the gauntlet at the O2 arena in London following the Gettr-sponsored YouTuber amateur boxing match on Saturday, Nigel Farage responded when questioned if he would take on Prime Minister Boris Johnson in the ring, by saying: “Oh, I could deal with him… Boris if you are listening now, let’s do it.”
Speaking on his TikTok account on Tuesday, Mr Brexit added: “Alright, was that heat of the moment? Or Boris, are you up for it?”
While the pair previously campaigned for the same cause during the 2016 EU Referendum — albeit for separate campaign groups — Mr Farage is a leading critic of Johnson’s administration for failing to fully deliver on Brexit, taking back control of the nation’s borders, and on Boris’ swing to the left on issues such as climate change.
Appearing at a boxing gym has become something of a political trope in Britain, with campaigning politicians often appearing at gyms for photoshoots. Indeed, Mr Farage and the Prime Minister have both put on the gloves at multiple times during their respective political careers.
@nigel__farage What do you think, Boris? @10downingstreet #borisjohnson #ksi #nigelfarage
The bout at the O2 saw British YouTuber KSI, real name Olajide Olayinka Williams Olatunji, defeating two opponents in one evening, British rapper Swarmz and Mexican boxer Luis Alcaraz Pineda. It was the first time that KSI had entered the ring publicly since defeating fellow YouTuber Logan Paul three years ago on points.
The undercard match saw comedian Sam Hyde face off against musician IAmThmpsn, TikToker Salt Papi taking on YouTuber Andy Warski, boxer DeenTheGreat against YouTuber Evil Hero, and YouTuber FaZe Sensei vs musician King Kenny.
Following his victories, KSI issued challenges to British boxer Tommy Fury and four-time kickboxing champ turned controversial social media star Andrew Tate.
Reflecting on the evening, Nigel Farage hailed the event for bringing back energy to the boxing industry.
“The O2 was full, the average age was about 18, people were well turned out and incredibly well behaved,” the Brexiteer told GB News. “Of course we sang the national anthem and I did so with gusto as well.”
“I talked to lots and lots of young people there, they said this is grass roots boxing, and even if the professional boxing federations turn their noses up at this, something remarkable is happening here,” Farage said.
He went on to comment that while many in the political sphere in Westminster might not pay attention to YouTubers, “influencers like KSI, followed by millions and millions of people, are actually providing pretty good role models to our young people.”
The event was sponsored by Twitter alternative Gettr, which Mr Farage joined this week, following boxer Andrew Tate following a series of bans by Big Tech platforms.
Follow Kurt Zindulka on Twitter here @KurtZindulka
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