Joey Essex Faces Dapper Laughs at London Boxing Event

Joey Essex and Daniel O'Reilly, known professionally as Dapper Laughs, headline a Misfits Boxing event at London's Copper Box Arena on Saturday, October 10, 2026. The crossover boxing matchup brings together two entertainment personalities with limited professional boxing experience, with Essex seeking a second consecutive victory and O'Reilly making his return to competition after an extended break. According to event details published by Racing Post, the main card begins at 6 p.m.

British Summer Time, while the headliners are scheduled to make their ring walks at 9:18 p.m. The timing could change depending on the duration of earlier fights. UK viewers can watch the event through DAZN, which holds exclusive broadcast rights for the contest.

The fight is included in the streaming service's subscription offering without a separate pay-per-view purchase.

Essex enters the contest following a victory over Portuguese YouTuber Numeiro in August 2025. His opponent's previous recorded fight was a first-round stoppage of Simple Simon in November 2023, leaving a substantial gap between O'Reilly's last appearance and the London event.

The available records differ between the preview published by Sidekick Boxing and the event guide from Racing Post. Sidekick Boxing lists both competitors at 1-0, while Racing Post describes O'Reilly as making his debut, making the records a point of inconsistency in the published coverage. Essex has trained under his uncle, boxing trainer Tony Sims, according to DAZN News. His preparation follows a competitive appearance in 2025, while O'Reilly returns after nearly three years away from the ring.

The technical challenge for Essex will involve controlling distance and maintaining a disciplined approach against an opponent who previously secured an early stoppage. O'Reilly's ability to disrupt Essex's rhythm and create close-range exchanges will be a central factor in how the matchup develops, although the limited competitive record of both men leaves uncertainty about their relative abilities. The event also features several other crossover boxing contests. The announced undercard includes Gary Olive versus Plinio Cruz, Swarmz versus Ambush Buzzworl, Big Stacks versus James Collins, and Jordan McCann versus Mo Deen.

The remaining scheduled matchups are Nitboy and Kane West against Cracky Tokky and Little T, alongside Carla Jade versus Erika Night for the MFB Women's Lightweight title. Former Premier League footballer James Collins is among the participants, facing internet personality Big Stacks. DAZN News also reviewed notable knockouts from previous Misfits Boxing events ahead of Essex's return.

Its retrospective highlighted Luis Pineda's victory over Ed Matthews, Darren Till's stoppage of Luke Rockhold, KSI's first-round win over FaZe Temperrr, Slim Albaher's knockout of Salt Papi, and Fox The G's rapid finish against Small Spartan Jay. The Copper Box Arena, located in Stratford, London, was built for the 2012 London Olympics and has a capacity of approximately 7,000, according to Racing Post. The venue first hosted boxing in 2018, when KSI faced fellow YouTube creator Joe Weller.