Joey Essex and Dapper Laughs fought to a split draw at Misfits 30, and fans cried robbery
Yahoo Sports said Laughs looked the better man in the main event; one judge had Essex ahead, one had it level, and Plinio Cruz stole the undercard.
The tea in 3
- Misfits Boxing 30, Oct 10 at London's Copper Box Arena, was headlined by Joey Essex vs. Dapper Laughs: a split draw.
- Yahoo Sports called it a robbery and said Laughs appeared to clearly win, landing looping right hands throughout.
- Plinio Cruz, longtime coach of Alex Pereira, won his Misfits debut by second-round TKO.
The main event of Misfits Boxing 30 ended in a split draw: Joey Essex vs. Dapper Laughs, Oct 10, Copper Box Arena in London. Yahoo Sports titled its recap a “robbery draw” and said Laughs appeared to clearly beat Essex before the decision was read.
The fight
It was four rounds. Yahoo’s round-by-round said Laughs landed looping right hands throughout, while Essex, who started fast with his jab, struggled to land anything meaningful in the later rounds. Yahoo’s own live scoring had Laughs winning 40-36.
The official cards, as listed by Yahoo, were 40-36, 39-37 and 38-38: one judge for Laughs, one for Essex and one level. Yahoo’s writer called the 39-37 card for Essex and the 38-38 card nonsensical.
The rest of the card
- Plinio Cruz, the longtime coach of former UFC champion Alex Pereira, stopped Gary Olive in round 2. Olive stepped in after Chase DeMoor was injured. Cruz then called out DeMoor:
You don’t have skills, you don’t have swag, you don’t have mojo.
- Swarmz vs. Ambush Buzzworl was also a draw.
- Big Stacks beat James Collins by majority decision.
- Carla Jade kept the Misfits women’s lightweight title by unanimous decision over Erika Night.
Who is who
Dapper Laughs is the stage name of comedian Daniel O’Reilly. Yahoo describes Essex as an English reality TV star who also fought in August 2025. Both men are now 1-0-1, per Yahoo.
The night’s other news
Between fights, Misfits co-founder KSI announced his boxing retirement and that Michael “Venom” Page had signed with the promotion. We break that down in a separate story.
What happens next
No rematch has been announced in the sources we checked, and we did not find a statement from either fighter about the decision.
Why it keeps happening
Judging in creator and celebrity boxing is under a microscope because the fighters are famous first. A questionable card gets people talking about the next event. This is general context, not a claim about these judges.
Creator and celebrity boxing lives on judging controversy. A draw many observers disagree with is a ready-made case for a rematch.
Poll
Who really won, Essex or Dapper Laughs?
Your reaction?
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