Danny Simpson to Make Boxing Debut on KSI’s Misfits Card

Former Manchester United and Leicester City defender Danny Simpson is set to make his boxing debut later this month.

The 37-year-old will face YouTube sensation Danny Aarons on the 31st of August at the 3Arena, Dublin on a show staged by KSI’s Misfits Boxing.

The popular FIFA YouTuber, Aarons, was scheduled to face TikTok star Brandon ‘Beavo’ Beavis, but he has pulled out with an injury – allowing Simpson to step in on short notice.

Simpson announced his retirement from professional football back in July. He had a brief stint with Macclesfield in the winter, but his last professional league game was with Bristol City in October 2021.

He’s been working as a pundit for MUTV in recent years, covering United, and also returned to Carrington last year to begin work on his coaching badges.

Danny Aarons on How the Fight Came About

The YouTuber believes he’s doing the Jake Paul route

With the former professional footballer trying his hand at boxing, Aarons recently spoke to the Misfits Boxing YouTube channel regarding how the fight came about.

“It was a weird one,” he said. “I thought ‘I’ve trained this much and now I’m potentially not fighting or I’m fighting someone that won’t make any moves.’ Then bang, Mams [Taylor] hits me up, ‘Bro, we’ve got an ex-footballer’.

“‘Done’ I didn’t even need to know who he was, whether he has trained before. I’ve now done some research, he has been training for four years but that’s fine, I don’t care.

“The previous opponent [Beavo], I go in there, I fight him, I win, yay. But if I come in there and beat an athlete, who has trained for four years in boxing, surely then that is making moves.

“I’m doing the Jake Paul route. I’m 22, I’m fighting a 37-year-old athlete, this is basically Nate Robinson. This is how it starts, mate.”

This month’s card was supposed to be headlined by a 2vs1 tag team match between KSI and a pairing of Slim Albaher and Anthony Taylor.

However, the British YouTuber pulled out of the bout after suffering an injury in training. Instead, he will be performing a live concert between fights on the card.

His best years came at Newcastle and Leicester City

Simpson began his career at United, but failed to become a first-team regular at Old Trafford, making just eight appearances, and spent most of his time on loan.

He was eventually sold to Newcastle United in 2010, making 137 appearances in all competitions before moving to Queens Park Rangers in 2013.

The former full-back spent one year in West London before moving to Leicester City – where he was part of the team that did the unthinkable and won the league title in the 2015/16 campaign.

During his professional career, he also won the Championship at Newcastle in 2010 and Sunderland in 2007, while he was on loan with the club.