KSI vs Logan Paul: How YouTube stars' bout became biggest white collar boxing match in history

More than a quarter of a million pounds of bets on the outcome of the main event have been taken by British bookmakers

Two of the biggest YouTubers in the world will face off tomorrow evening in Manchester in what’s being billed as the biggest white collar boxing match in history.

KSI – real name Olatunji Olajide – and Logan Paul, the YouTuber best known for uploading a video of a body hanging in a Japanese forest earlier this year, will battle it out to for pride and a belt first awarded to KSI when he defeated fellow YouTuber Joe Weller back in February.

More than a quarter of a million pounds of bets on the outcome of the main event have been taken by British bookmakers, The Independent understands – with bets still being taken.

“We were blown away by the numbers we saw after KSI's last fight, but that pales in significance in truth, with interest from a betting perspective likely to hit £300,000 by close of play on Saturday night,” said Ladbrokes’ Alex Apati.

The pair have nearly 40 million subscribers between them, and around 20,000 fans are expected to watch the fight in person at Manchester Arena tomorrow night from 5:30pm. More will watch through YouTube, each paying £7.50 ($10) for access to a live stream of the bout, as revealed by The Independent in March.

The bank holiday weekend barney marks the culmination of a stratospheric six months for British YouTuber KSI.

He handily dispatched Joe Weller in the first YouTube boxing match held in front of 7,500 fans in London’s Copper Box Arena back in February.

Immediately after the fight, he challenged brothers Jake and Logan Paul to fight him next.

Six months of wrangling between both sides followed, with the contract finally signed in mid-March.

Since then the duo have exchanged insults in diss tracks and videos that have been seen by millions.

The bout will be screened in more than 45 countries on pay per view, and YouTube personalities are flying in from the United States to watch the match.

All the fighters involved in the event will be weighing in at a secret location in Manchester later today.

• The Independent will be reporting live on the fight from MEN arena. Check this article from Saturday morning for a link to our live coverage