Just 48 hours before Andrew Tate and Chase DeMoor step into the ring in Dubai, the build-up to their Misfits Boxing showdown took a turn that perfectly captured the strange theatre surrounding the fight.
Instead of another heated exchange or staredown, DeMoor handed Tate a Christmas gift.
Inside the neatly wrapped package was a miniature Bugatti a tongue-in-cheek nod to Tate’s love of luxury cars and his refusal to put one of his real vehicles on the line for Saturday night’s bout. Tate’s response was brief, dismissive, and unmistakably on brand.
“Another Bugatti.”
Four words. No smile. No gratitude. Just contempt.
That moment summed up a fight week that has been equal parts spectacle, ego, and genuine tension a fitting prelude to one of the most talked-about Misfits Boxing events of the year.
Tate’s Return: From CEO to Contender
At 39 years old, Andrew Tate is making his Misfits Boxing debut under circumstances few would have predicted. Just two months ago, he was announced as the promotion’s new CEO. Now, he is fighting for its heavyweight title.
Tate has not competed in combat sports for five years, but he is no novice. A former kickboxing world champion, he has repeatedly hinted at a return to competition throughout 2025. When the opportunity finally arrived, it was anything but gentle.
Rather than a warm-up fight, Tate was thrown straight into a title bout against the reigning Misfits heavyweight champion a man nearly a decade younger and one of the promotion’s most active fighters this year.
“I would have fought anyone,” Tate later admitted. “Chase is the guy they gave me.”
For Tate, the bout represents more than a return to fighting. It is a public statement: that he is not content to run the business side of Misfits from behind the scenes.
Chase DeMoor: The Active Champion
While Tate brings star power and controversy, Chase DeMoor enters the fight as the more active competitor. The 29-year-old has already fought six times this year and is defending his heavyweight crown for the first time.
DeMoor, a former reality TV star, has leaned heavily into psychological warfare during the build-up. At the launch press conference, he publicly urged Tate to put his six-million-dollar Bugatti on the line. Tate flatly refused, but the idea lingered.
That refusal set the stage for Thursday’s press conference in Dubai.
As Misfits fighter Warren Spencer began distributing festive gifts on stage, DeMoor seized the moment. With a grin, he handed Tate his own present the miniature Bugatti and delivered the punchline.
“It is Christmas,” DeMoor said. “Sometimes you’ve got to give the boss a gift.”
The joke did not land.
A Joke That Turned Sharp
Initially, Tate appeared amused. That quickly changed.
As DeMoor pushed the gag further asking Tate what colour the Bugatti was the mood shifted. Tate cut him off, clearly irritated, accusing DeMoor of setting up a predictable insult.
DeMoor eventually spelled it out: when he punches Tate on Saturday, he plans to ask again what colour his Bugatti is because Tate’s face, he joked, would be red.
For DeMoor, it was playful trash talk. For Tate, it crossed into disrespect.
The exchange ended with tension hanging in the air, a reminder that beneath the jokes and theatrics, neither man is treating this fight lightly.
Why This Fight Matters to Tate
Since stepping away from competition, Tate has remained a constant presence in combat sports conversations often controversial, always polarizing. He still faces serious criminal charges in the UK, including allegations of rape, which he denies, and those issues continue to follow him wherever he goes.
Inside the ring, however, Tate is focused on legacy.
“This hiatus wasn’t completely up to me,” he said, referencing personal and legal complications. “But I’m back.”
Tate explained that after becoming CEO of Misfits, he questioned why he should only oversee fights rather than take part himself. Working alongside promoter Mams Taylor, he says the bout came together naturally.
“There’s no bigger waste of youth than sitting around wondering if you could have done something,” Tate said. “I’m not a ‘what if’ guy. I’m a go-for-it guy.”
It is a familiar Tate message ambition framed as defiance and one he appears determined to prove inside the ring.
Misfits Boxing’s Calculated Gamble
From a promotional standpoint, this fight is gold.
Misfits Boxing continues to blur the line between influencer spectacle and legitimate competition, and Tate vs DeMoor might be its boldest experiment yet. One fighter is the organization’s CEO and one of the most recognizable and divisive figures online. The other is an active champion eager to defend his status and silence critics.
The bout is also positioned perfectly in a crowded boxing calendar, sitting alongside major mainstream events and benefitting from massive digital reach.
For Misfits, the risk is obvious. If Tate is badly exposed, it raises questions about competitive integrity. If he wins convincingly, it reinforces the idea that star power can coexist with genuine fighting ability.
Either outcome guarantees attention.
The Fight Itself: Questions Without Easy Answers
Despite Tate’s confidence, fans and analysts remain divided.
Some believe his kickboxing background gives him a clear advantage. Others point to ring rust, age, and DeMoor’s activity level as serious concerns. Online reactions have already begun judging Tate’s boxing ability harshly, with many suggesting he could be “in trouble” once the punches start flying.
Tate, unsurprisingly, dismisses all doubt.
“I know I’m going to win,” he said. “After I beat him up, I’ll beat up whoever else they want me to beat up.”
It is bravado, but it is also commitment. Tate has made it clear this is not a one-off appearance. If victorious, he intends to remain a fixture in the Misfits heavyweight division.
From Gimmicks to Consequences
The miniature Bugatti may have been meant as a joke, but it symbolizes something larger.
This fight is about pride, power, and proving legitimacy in a space where entertainment often overshadows danger. Once the bell rings in Dubai, the theatrics stop. Titles, reputations, and credibility will be on the line.
Whether Tate’s return becomes a triumphant statement or a costly miscalculation remains to be seen.
But one thing is certain: Christmas jokes aside, neither man is laughing now.
ANDREW TATE VS CHASE DEMOOR (FULL PRESS CONFERENCE)
https://youtu.be/bS2Qz1R4Tio?si=LbQsQlwYGdtS82Gs
