AnEsonGib takes on Slim Albaher at Misfits x DAZN 19 in Qatar on Thursday evening, but it wasn’t too long ago that the YouTuber was having his maiden professional fight with Jake Paul
AnEsonGib takes on Slim Albaher at Misfits x DAZN 19 in Qatar on Thursday evening, but it wasn’t too long ago that the YouTuber was having his maiden professional fight with Jake Paul AnEsonGib takes on Slim Albaher at Misfits x DAZN 19 in Qatar on Thursday evening, but it wasn’t too long ago that the YouTuber was having his maiden professional fight with Jake Paul
AnEsonGib has explained how his first pro boxing fight with Jake Paul saw him learn so much about himself as a person.
The YouTuber, Real name Ali Loui Al-Fakhri, made the dive into the world of boxing six years ago on the undercard of KSI’s iconic clash with Joe Weller – arguably the event which launched influencer boxing as we now know it. On that night in February 2018, Gib was pitted off against fellow content creator Max Plays (Max Nugent) – reigning victorious with a hard right hook in the second round which ended the fight.
Gib enjoyed another amateur bout against controversial TGF star Jay Swingler at the Manchester Arena in August that year – the same night in which KSI and Logan Paul went head to head for the first time – winning via unanimous decision after four hard-fought rounds.
Fast forward to 2024, and Gib has accrued a respectable record of 6-1 across a whole host of amateur, exhibition and even professional bouts – and he is widely considered to be one of the best content creators turned boxers that the world has ever seen. While he’s headed into his Misfits x Dazn headliner against Slim Albaher at the Lusail Sports Arena in Qatar on Thursday evening with a wealth of confidence and support behind him, his career hasn’t always been plain sailing.
Speaking to Mirror Fighting ahead of his upcoming showdown, Gib explained that his sole loss was his toughest challenge to date – and one which made him completely reassess his approach to training as a boxer. When asked about who his most challenging opponent in history has been, Gib said: “The toughest one is going to be the one where I lost.
“But with that loss, I have learned so much, and it’s added so much to me personally and added to my game. Without that loss, I would have continued to box the way that I did. So it made me enter the amateur gym, it made me fight the professionals, it made me take my nutrition and my recovery more serious. Yeah, it would be the one where I lost, but it has helped me so much in the long run.”
(
Image:
Getty Images)
Meanwhile, reflecting on what has changed since he made his pro debut against Paul four years ago, Gib explained: “A lot has changed in the sense of my whole lifestyle, my mentality. I’m fully dedicated to boxing, I love boxing. So physically, mentally, everything that has changed about me has changed me as a man.
“So I’m very thankful for boxing. I remember I was boxing before the thing started, what was I doing? Boxercise to lose the fat, that’s what I was doing. Hitting the bag a load of times, star-jump, burpee, star-jump, burpee. I thought I was a bad-boy boxer then. I used to tell people, ‘yeah, I box three times a week’.
“But as fighting happened and as I started going to the gym, you really find out what boxing is about. You realise people are trying to hit you back, and mentally as a boxer, I’ve adapted and I’ve changed a lot.”
(
Image:
Getty Images)
Paul also made his pro debut when he faced Gib back in November 2020, having only competed once prior in a TKO victory over Deji Olatunji two years prior. When the two content creators met in the squared circle, Paul displayed a traditional stance while Gib was lower to the canvas, trying to make it trickier for Paul to land on him.
A solid jab from Paul sent Gib stumbling around a minute into the first round, before a partially-blocked right cross dropped the Englishman to his knee momentarily just seconds later. Gib then got caught with a check left-hook which sent him to the canvas for a second time, but showed grit and determination by carrying on and fighting back.
A hard right hand landed flush on Gib before another sent the YouTuber down for the third and final time in the first round before the referee waved off the contest. And while many fighters would hope to get their loss back further down the line, Gib has seemingly insisted that he’ll never step back into the squared-circle with Paul – who has gone on to rack up an impressive 11-1 record of his own professionally.
Gib said: “What was the weight class that he fought at? I’m about to go into a middleweight bout. There’s a big weight gap. I didn’t belong in cruiserweight to begin with.”
(
Image:
Getty Images)
Gib is raring to make his return to the ring come Thursday when he meets 7-0 Slim at Misfits X Dazn 19 in Doha. Real name Sulieman Albaher, Slim has made waves in the world of influencer boxing since his debut in 2019, besting the likes of Fousey, Faze Temper, Ryan Taylor, Tom Zanetti and Salt Papi.
The 30-year-old is the poster-boy for the middleweight division of Misfits Boxing, and he hope to defend his divisional title against Gib when they go to war in a battle for the ages. No walk in the park, Gib also confessed that his opponent for the night is the most credible boxer with the promotion at present, explaining: “I think he’s the best fighter at Misfits, he’s the most credible person at Misfits. 7-0 two weight-division champ, so when I come and dust him off it’s going to make my victory so much sweeter.”
He added: “I believe a stoppage is on the cards. I believe we are going to see that night whose record has prepared them the best for the moment. I’m going to see who has learned the most over the past seven years, and that is my duty to do. I’m going to exploit his weaknesses and take away his strengths, so I’m excited for this.”
Gib and Slim headline Misfits x DAZN 19 at the Lusail Sports Arena in Quarat come Thursday, November 28.
Learn more
DAZN subscribers will be able to watch three matches per week from the ever growing Saudi Pro League, featuring some the biggest names in world football. DAZN will also be showing every minute of Al-Nassr’s games which will bring fans front row seats to Cristiano Ronaldo and former Liverpool legend, Sadio Mané.
Mirror – Sport