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KSI came out on top in the battle of the YouTube sensations as he stopped Joe Weller on Saturday night.
The pair met over a scheduled six three-minute rounds at the Copper Box Arena in London, a venue more used to hosting world champions than white-collar wannabes.
But 8,000 fans crammed into the east London hall - a sign of the growing popularity of online stars.
Their rivalry stemmed, of course, from the internet as they clashed on Twitter last year.
Weller had just beaten fellow internet star Theo 'Malfoy' Baker in August when KSI - real name Olajide William Olatunji - entered the scene.
(Image: KSI/YouTube)
KSI called out the victor before the duo twice met in person as the rivalry grew.
The bout was confirmed the following month and the trash-talking began in earnest.
And after the first bell, KSI began the fight on the front foot as Weller waited 30 seconds to throw a punch.
With the longer reach, the taller men attempted to control the fight with his jab as Weller struggled to close the distance.
He was able to pin KSI against the tops briefly before he was left bloodied by an uppercut.
It was a similar story in the second session as both men seemed to tire, with KSI in particular holding when he could.
(Image: KSI/YouTube)
The pair tumbled to the canvas in a heap but no knockdown was called.
KSI made a fast start to the third stanza as Weller looked close to defeat.
And the referee stepped in to give the struggling man a standing count midway through the round.
Weller was cleared to continue but the fight was stopped seconds later.
The winner, who was presented with the YouTube belt by professional heavyweight Dereck Chisora, said: "I walked the walk, and I talked the talk motherf*****.
"Joe, you're way tougher than I thought. Respect for getting into the ring and giving me a tough battle."
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KSI made amends with Joe over his mental illness comments (Picture: YouTube)
KSI seemed to apologise for his remarks about Joe Weller’s mental health in his post-fight winner’s speech.
KSI, real name Olajide William ‘JJ’ Olatunji, beat his YouTube rival Joe 1 minute and 30 seconds into the third round of their six-round bout in London’s Copper Box Arena.
And after being awarded the belt by Derek Chisora, JJ praised Joe for speaking about mental health.
Well, after insulting him first.
KSI previously goaded Joe about his use of anti-depressants (Picture: YouTube)
The 24-year-old said: ‘I talked the talk and I walked the walk motherfucker. On the real though, Joe you are way harder, way tougher than I thought. Fair play, respect for you for getting in the ring and giving me a tough battle, bro.
‘I’ll be honest Joe, I don’t like you. But I like what you stand for.
‘Mental illness is a real thing, and I want this event to showcase that anyone suffering from mental illness, you are not alone, and you should never, ever give up.
‘All my life I’ve had people tell me you can’t do this, can’t do that – YouTube, you can’t get a million subscribers, 17 million subscribers. And what did I do? I proved them wrong. Same with music.
‘They said 8,000 people would see my head knocked out on the canvas. And the million people watching – look at me now motherfucker.’
Back at Joe and KSI’s press conference last year, serious controversy was sparked after KSI mocked his opponent’s mental health.
He said during the press conference: ‘Do you need drugs to stay sane?’
Joe, who battles depression, tweeted afterwards: ‘Mental illness is not a joke.’
JJ apologised for his comments in a YouTube video, saying he got caught up in the heat of the moment.
Need support? Contact the Samaritans For emotional support you can call the Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org, visit a Samaritans branch in person or go to the Samaritans website.
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KSI won in the third round (Picture: YouTube)
KSI has won his clash against Joe Weller in the third round.
Over 1.5 million people watched between KSI and Joe’s YouTube streams as the rivals clashed in what was planned to be a six round bout.
But sadly for Weller fans, the YouTuber was forced to end the fight after three rounds, with JJ’s jabs proving too strong.
The referee called out the fight 1 minutes 30 seconds into the third round, declaring a KSI win by total knockout.
Joe couldn’t match up to KSI’s jabs (Picture: YouTube)
KSI was awarded the belt by boxing legend Derek Chisora after embracing his opponent.
Joe, 21, was greeted by overwhelming cheers as he walked out into the Copper Box Arena to a remix of The XX followed by Faithless’s Insomnia.
Meanwhile, his 24-year-old opponent KSI – also known as Olajide William ‘JJ’ Olatunji – was announced as the ‘Nightmare’, before he confidently walked out to one of his own songs.
And although Joe was receiving the most cheers and support in the arena, KSI was the clear leader in the first round, leaving Joe with a bloody lip after landing a brutal hit.
The second round ended with Joe being thrown to the ground, with the referee stopping the round and intervening, suggesting there may be a point reduction for the move.
However, in the third round, the referee chose to end it, ruling in KSI’s favour.
JJ said after the fight: ‘I talked the talk and I walked the walk motherfucker.
‘On the real though, Joe you are way harder, way tougher than I thought. Fair play, respect for you for getting in the ring and giving me a tough battle, bro.’
And Joe said: ‘Obviously I’m gutted. I thought we did everything we could do to defeat JJ, but he prevailed. Those blows, they stun you. 100% respect, he put in the work, and that power is lethal.’
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