MMA News: ‘Bad Guy’ Behind Failed Fyre Festival Scores Viral KO at Karate Combat

Fyre Fest promoter Billy McFarland makes headlines again, this time for flooring an influencer.

courtesy of Karate Combat /

The "good guy" doesn't always win in the end.

Painted a villain for planning "the greatest party that never happened" as dubbed by Netflix in their popular documentary, many were rooting for Fyre Festival creator Billy McFarland to get knocked out in his first-ever sanctioned fight this week. Unfortunately for them, McFarland let them down (like the hundreds of people who attended his fraudelent music festival back in 2017) when he scored a knockout-win at Karate Combat 46.

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McFarland's Fyre Festival was marketed to take off without a hitch with planned dates in the Bahamas, accompanied by live musical performances by top artists and promoted by your favorite stars. Ironically enough, former UFC Heavyweight Champion Stipe Miocic was among those paid to post an orange square on his social media, a viral strategy to create buzz around Fyre Fest.

Join me Fyrefestival.com #fyrefestival

Posted by Stipe Miocic on Monday, December 12, 2016

The luxury and finesse behind Fyre Fest were nowhere to be seen for the hundreds of people who flew out to Exuma, Bahamas for the high-end experience of a lifetime, nor was it there for the thousands of others who paid a price to not to make the trip in the first place.

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Years after the event's disastrous turn-out (or lack thereof), settlements paid to those attendees involved, and time served for McFarland in federal prison (he pleaded guilty to wire fraud in 2018) McFarland is now out and about, kicking an influencer in Karate Combat.

That's right, the 32-year-old McFarland challenged Justin Custardo, a crypto influencer that wanted to take revenge for the people scammed by McFarland and his associates through Fyre Fest. Instead, Custardo ended up taking a dastardly right hand that sent him down to the canvas with nothing more left to give.

The guy who made Fyre Festival just got a KO at Karate Combat 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/fhaWoNFQ1x

— Ben Davis (@BenTheBaneDavis) May 31, 2024

"The bad guy won!" former UFC Champion Georges St-Pierre said on commentary.

Top podcaster and UFC commentator Joe Rogan also reacted to McFarland's KO stoppage in amazement from pitside in his backyard of Austin, Texas on Thursday. Billy McFarland might be considered a fraud for Fyre Festival, but let the record show the sketchy businessman can still fight.

On the heels of victory, who knows what we'll get next from McFarland, another fight at Karate Combat or a sequel to the failed Fyre Festival.

Billy McFarland from Netflix’s “Fyre” docuseries has got some fire in his hands. 👀 @pyrtbilly won his first fight in the @influfightclub Karate Combat Pit. Who should be next to try to deal some secondary justice? 👀

Brought to you by @krakenfx!! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/s9deQOJ76O

— Karate Combat (@KarateCombat) May 31, 2024

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