KSI Returned to Misfits — Then Signed Michael 'Venom' Page Instead of Fighting
GOATIFYThe biggest boxing announcement at London's Copper Box Arena on October 10 did not involve the fighters headlining the show. KSI returned to Misfits Boxing in an executive role, confirmed that his own time in the ring was over, and introduced a very different kind of signing: Michael “Venom” Page, the 39-year-old former UFC and Bellator standout.
Page has agreed to a multi-fight deal, but neither an opponent nor a debut date has been announced. That distinction matters. The signing is a statement of ambition rather than an immediate fight booking, and the intriguing question is how a seasoned elite-level combat-sports striker will fit into a promotion built around crossover personalities and spectacle.
The move also draws a line through two intertwined stories. Page is choosing a new platform after his UFC contract ended despite a winning record; KSI is choosing the promoter's position over another fight of his own. The partnership could broaden what Misfits offers, but its success will depend on matchmaking, competition and whether the promotion can give Page meaningful fights instead of relying on the announcement alone.
KSI returned to the business side — and brought a headline signing
Misfits' October 10 event was billed around Joey Essex and Dapper Laughs, but the promotion used the London show to make a statement about its future. KSI, one of the organization's founders, appeared in the ring and announced his return as chief executive. He did not present it as the start of another training camp or tease a date for his own comeback. Instead, he used the moment to reveal Page as the promotion's newest fighter.
The setting was deliberate. A live crossover-boxing crowd understands KSI's personality and his history with the brand, while Page arrives with credibility earned across far more conventional combat-sports competition. Introducing them together gave the announcement both a familiar face and a new athletic attraction. Page's theatrical entrance fit the showmanship, but his record made the reveal more than a celebrity cameo.
Page spoke enthusiastically about the freedom of the move and the chance to create memorable moments with KSI and the Misfits team. KSI, meanwhile, described Page as an explosive fighter capable of exciting audiences. Those are promotional ambitions, not proof of a successful matchmaking plan. The contract is reported as multi-fight, yet the company has not named an opponent, weight or first event for Page.
That absence leaves the next question open. Does Misfits intend to pair Page with an established professional, another combat-sports veteran, or a crossover name with a large following? Each route would offer a different balance of sporting credibility and commercial reach. For now, the concrete development is the signing itself — and KSI's decision to make his executive role, rather than his own gloves, the centerpiece.
Page's UFC exit makes this more than a celebrity-boxing experiment
Page is not arriving as a social-media novice looking for a first boxing payday. He spent years developing his unorthodox, counterpunching style in Bellator before moving to the UFC, where he finished with five victories and one defeat across six appearances. His final UFC fight was a decision win over Nursulton Ruziboev in Paris in September 2026. The promotion did not renew his deal after that run, leaving him free to choose his next platform.
That record changes the usual crossover calculation. Most influencer boxing events ask whether an entertainer can learn enough technique to survive against another novice. Page already has a professional striking background, high-level cage experience and an established fan base among MMA viewers. The challenge is not whether he can throw a punch; it is whether Misfits can find opponents who make a competitive, credible boxing contest possible.
Page's sole UFC loss came against Ian Machado Garry at UFC 303 in June 2024. The result did not erase his reputation for distance management, feints and sudden attacks. His style can be awkward for conventional opponents because he invites reactions before striking through openings. Those attributes should translate into gloved boxing in some form, though the different stance, defense and rules demand adjustments.
Age is another factor. At 39, Page has experience that can be an advantage in a carefully selected matchup, but a multi-fight contract also asks how frequently he intends to compete and against what level of opposition. The fact that he won his final UFC outing makes the decision especially interesting: he is changing the type of opportunity he pursues, not simply trying to rebuild after a losing streak. His next opponent will reveal whether this is a serious new boxing chapter or a vehicle for occasional high-profile exhibitions.
His boxing record is real — but the Mike Perry fight is the warning
Page has won both of his conventional professional boxing contests, with two stoppages, but he has not fought under standard boxing rules since 2018. That gap is important. A 2-0 record establishes that he has stepped into a boxing ring and finished opponents, yet it does not tell us how he would perform today against an active, high-level boxer who can force a disciplined twelve-round fight.
His 2022 bare-knuckle contest with Mike Perry offers a more useful caution. In London, Page's timing and long-range punches created problems, but Perry kept advancing and made the contest physical. The initial five rounds produced a majority draw, triggering an extra round under the event's rules. Perry took the majority decision after six rounds. It was a different sport with different equipment, but the fight showed how relentless pressure can disrupt even a gifted distance striker.
That history should shape Misfits' choices. A recognizable MMA veteran may create a marketable matchup, but a purely novice influencer could leave fans with a mismatch rather than a genuine contest. Conversely, placing Page immediately against a top specialist boxer would ignore the years since his last standard boxing appearance. A sensible first booking would offer recognizable stakes and enough resistance to test his rhythm without pretending that MMA success guarantees boxing dominance.
There is also the entertainment question. Page is known for flamboyant movement and theatrical flourishes, qualities that fit the Misfits stage naturally. Yet the sport still rewards the less glamorous work: controlling distance without kicks, managing clinches under boxing rules, defending combinations and maintaining output as rounds accumulate. His creativity will sell the fight. The technical adjustments will determine whether the fight is worth watching after the opening bell.
KSI's retirement changes the Jake Paul rivalry — and Misfits' direction
The other major message from the London announcement was that KSI does not plan to box again. He reiterated his retirement, referring to the end of his “Nightmare” fighting persona, and aimed a final verbal jab at Jake Paul. It was dramatic, but it was not the first time KSI had said he was done. Earlier in 2026 he had already discussed leaving competition behind. The October appearance reinforced that position while giving him a visible role in the sport's business.
KSI's most recent fight remains his October 2023 points loss to Tommy Fury. That result has lingered in discussions of his competitive ceiling, but his impact on crossover boxing is not reducible to a single scorecard. His bouts helped demonstrate that online audiences could be turned into paying combat-sports viewers, and the Misfits project grew out of that audience-building ability.
The long-promised KSI–Jake Paul fight now looks less likely than ever. The two helped define the influencer-boxing rivalry, yet negotiations never delivered an actual bout. Paul has continued discussing future opponents, including KSI, but a wishlist is not a signed fight agreement. With KSI publicly reaffirming his retirement, treating their matchup as an upcoming contest would be misleading.
That makes Page's arrival a revealing pivot. Misfits can no longer assume that the founder's own fight is the biggest attraction available to it. It must create new stars and combinations of personalities, and it must give fans reasons to care about competition beyond the pre-fight theatrics. Page is an established athlete who can help make that transition, provided the promotion offers a coherent plan rather than a succession of surprise appearances. KSI can still shape the show — this time from the executive side of the ropes.
The October 10 reveal delivered a recognizable name, a fresh chapter for KSI and an unusually accomplished signing for crossover boxing. What it did not deliver was a confirmed fight. Page's next opponent, the rules and the timing will determine whether Misfits has secured a genuine sporting attraction or simply a compelling announcement.
For Page, the opportunity is to translate years of elite combat-sports experience into a boxing run with real stakes. For KSI, the challenge is to make his promotion thrive without relying on his own return to the ring. The partnership has the ingredients for a major story. The first matchup will decide whether it becomes one.
