Something interesting unfolded over the past weekend. Former UFC fighter Darren Till, who is set to face Luke Rockhold on August 30th at Manchester’s AO Arena in a boxing match, connected with Geordie social media star Jack Kay, aka ‘Ibiza final boss.’ The 26-year-old became an overnight sensation after a video of him dancing in a nightclub in Ibiza went viral, with his dance moves, fashion choices, and signature bowl haircut earning him the nickname.

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After seeing the viral clip, ‘The Gorilla’ took to social media to praise Kay and offer him free tickets to both his fight against Luke Rockhold and the afterparty. Hours later, Darren Till shared a screenshot of a WhatsApp conversation between his friend and the Ibiza star, confirming Kay’s attendance. Now, Till has revealed he intends to bring Kay into Misfits Boxing—to face off against a former UFC star.

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“I just said to him, ‘What’s happening?’ My mate says, ‘You need to run with this now and make f—ing millions.’ … So he says, ‘Yeah, right.’ So I said, ‘Then if you can fight, you know, I’ll get you on Misfits,’” Till revealed in an interview with Seconds Out when asked about his interaction with the viral social media star. It appears ‘Ibiza Final Boss’ was really pleased with the idea, as Till revealed his reaction to the offer.

Darren Till

Imago

“And he turned to me and he went, ‘Darren, I can have a bag of me, you know, mate. I can proper fight,’” Darren said, reflecting on his interaction with Kay. Interestingly, Till seems to have fallen in love with Kay’s personality, as he added, “He’s a proper character. So yeah, I think I’m gonna get him on Misfits.” When the reporter asked who Kay would fight, Till revealed he wanted to match him against former British mixed martial artist Paul Kelly

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“Paul Kelly, former UFC fighter,” Till said. This prompted the reporter to ask whether Kay can fight, to which Till said, “[Kay] said he can.” Only time will tell whether Kay ends up fighting Kelly or not, but the question is, how is the 26-year-old handling his new fame?

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Ahead of the fight offer from Darren Till, Ibiza Final Boss teased big news

The 26-year-old from Newcastle has hinted that something big is on the horizon. After his clip racked up 18 million views on TikTok, his newfound fame has led to memes, brand shoutouts, and even an offer from Booking.com to return to Ibiza for an “extended stay.” Capitalizing on the moment, Kay launched TikTok and Instagram accounts, amassing over 28,000 followers.

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In an Instagram Story, he thanked fans. “Appreciate all the love and messages [from] everyone… It’s just a lot for me to take in at the moment,” Kay wrote. “I am just a normal person from Newcastle, it’s crazy. Stay locked in, got some big news coming.” Now signed with Neon Management, Kay is reportedly preparing to go on tour.

It seems Darren Till watched the popular meme come to life and had a light-bulb moment—invite Kay to his boxing match and draw more attention to the fight. While the idea of Kay stepping into the ring against Paul Kelly could be lucrative for him, the real question is: will it actually happen, or is this just another dose of marketing hype?

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Sudeep Sinha

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Sudeep Sinha is a Golf Writer at EssentiallySports, covering the PGA Tour, LIV Golf, and the storylines around the sport's biggest events and names. He previously spent over two years writing in the Boxing department, where his fight-night coverage was featured on Sports Illustrated, Daily Mail, and Yahoo Sports, including his reporting on Ryan Garcia's career arc. On the golf beat, Sudeep covers tour news, player form, and the season-long storylines that shape the men's and women's game, from majors to the ongoing shifts in how professional golf is structured. That same appetite for detail that made his boxing coverage stand out now shows up in how he breaks down a swing change or a schedule shakeup for hardcore and casual fans alike. Outside work, he splits his time between reading, cycling, and following combat sports.

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Gokul Pillai

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