Copyright GIVEMESPORT
Controversial influencer Andrew Tate shook up the crossover boxing scene this week when he announced he's the new combat executive officer for Misfits Boxing and will fight for the company's heavyweight title against the incumbent champion Chase DeMoor on the 20th December in Dubai. Tate faces ongoing legal cases in the UK, US, and Romania regarding alleged misogynistic behavior, although he maintains he's innocent of all charges. And so he hasn't fought competitively in five years. "I always wanted a comeback fight," Tate told the YouTuber 'Fred Talks Fighting' on Thursday. "I always thought I was going to do a big one." "I'm the biggest payday in sports entertainment today." Tate indicated that, should he win later this year, then he'd want to be active and fight up to 10 times in 2026. "There's a lot of people who need punching in the face," according to Tate, which raises questions as to whom he could fight in the next 12 to 15 months, and if that could catapult him to become one of the year's boxing's biggest earners. We named five opponents Tate could fight in the next year, and how much money each bout could generate for him, should he keep on winning. Darren Till — Former UFC Star Should Tate defeat DeMoor, then a first defense of his Misfits heavyweight title could come against the former UFC title challenger, Darren Till, who has shown in Misfits that he still possesses considerable striking pedigree together with a strong UK following. There’s also real history here. Till has publicly mocked Tate, while the influencer has name-checked the Muay Thai specialist as a future opponent so long as he shows more respect. It’s a grudge that practically markets itself and would push Tate into a far more credible lane in the crossover fight world. Till has said before he's earning "fortunes on Misfits," suggesting it trumps the six-figure paydays he earned in the UFC. Tate once commanded $100,000 sums in kickboxing, but this showdown could land him firmly in the million-dollar bracket. KSI — Influencer Boxing Trailblazer A victory over Till sets up one of the biggest bouts Misfits could make — Tate vs KSI. The crossover boxing pioneer is a pay-per-view driver and has a pre-existing beef with Tate as the latter claims he's taken over KSI's company. It could headline a soccer stadium in Britain and command sizable paydays for both fighters with the winner, perhaps, owning Misfits outright. Defeating KSI, though, would give Tate greater as it pushes him toward a marquee name outside the Misfits bubble where even bigger money can be made. Jake Paul — Crossover Boxing's Biggest Star Jake Paul is the biggest box-office draw in the influencer-crossover world, and has even become a regular fighter on the Netflix platform. 'The Problem Child' has headlined with Mike Tyson, beaten Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., and was set to compete against Gervonta Davis in an exhibition. That event, though, is in disarray, and it is unclear if it will even go ahead. What's also unclear, is the type of opponent Paul might fight in the future. He's been linked to world title options, but his history suggests he prefers former MMA fighters, or other athletes with non-traditional stipulations/advantages. A fight against Tate could see Paul return to form: two of the most controversial figures from YouTube finally throwing hands. Tate could feasibly receive $5 million to $7.5 million for fighting Paul. Anthony Joshua — The Former Two-Time Heavyweight King It would typically be unheard of for Anthony Joshua to be linked with a fight against Tate. However, AJ has fought a novice boxer before in Francis Ngannou, and he brutally finished the former UFC heavyweight champion in two rounds. What's more, Joshua flirted with the idea of fighting Paul before Jake picked 'Tank' to fight, instead. If Tate goes on a three-fight winning run in which he's scalped Till, KSI, and Paul, then Tate could push to fight the heavyweight that Jake had his eye on. For Joshua, his supporters would see it as easy work at the tail-end of his career. And as a former heavyweight champion who still sells out arenas and commands blue-chip sponsors, Joshua could place himself as the former Olympic hero in a match-up against an internet villain in Tate. Even if he's the B-side, Tate could still make well over $10 million — a similar sum to what Ngannou received when he fought Tyson Fury. Conor McGregor — The Former Two-Weight UFC Superstar There may be no bigger lightning-rod pairing in combat sports: Tate vs McGregor would be the most toxic, explosive promotion imaginable. Tate claims he’s the biggest payday in sports entertainment, while Conor has shown in the past that he's the one who actually is. Their trash-talk tour alone would break the internet. McGregor’s boxing record is 0-1, while Tate is unproven. If Tate keeps winning and McGregor returns for a final payday, this could be another money-printing venture — both for McGregor, and for Tate. Boxing is still a star-driven economy — and Tate, if he keeps winning, could unlock its most bizarre match-ups.
