Lil Tay keeps inviting people to box with her, but she doesn’t need a ring for a fight. Her real sparring match seems to be with the internet itself. Lil Tay has been a record-breaking OnlyFans creator since late July, and she’s built a strategy around outrage and spectacle that keeps her name in the spotlight. The only problem? She can’t get anyone to join her in the ring.

Known as the “youngest flexer” on Instagram at age 9, Lil Tay was internet famous well ahead of adulthood. She went viral as a child star for flaunting wealth, sparking open debates about parental influence. Recently, she turned 18 and launched her OnlyFans page to wild success. She thrives on attention and isn’t afraid to reinvent herself when necessary to pivot toward a more lucrative venture.

Tay’s OnlyFans broke records, pulling in more than $1 million in her first hours on the adults-only platform. Her audience grew rapidly and has continued to do so, largely due to her ability to provoke others into a curiosity follow. Since that initial success, she’s relied on stirring up controversy to keep her name trending online. It’s worked, but her strategy isn’t without its pitfalls. She’s gained visibility, but at the cost of constantly needing to escalate the drama.

Lil Tay’s first attempt at a high-profile spat was with Sophie Rain. Rain raised her eyebrows at Tay’s money claims, and Tay didn’t take kindly to the implication. She accused Rain of projecting and lying about her own earnings, then publicly issued a $60 million boxing challenge, saying she’d been training and was ready to take her on. Sophie refused, leaving Tay with several big-talking headlines but no actual bout to publicize.

After her failed attempt to goad Sophie Rain into the ring, Lil Tay called out Bhad Bhabie. Allegedly, Bhad Bhabie wanted to fight her back in 2018 when Tay was only 9 years old. Now that both are legally adults, Tay is reframing her challenge as unfinished business. She says she’ll be accepting “no excuses,” determined to reignite old drama and force a conflict in front of an audience of millions.

At this point, it’s impossible to deny that Lil Tay has a consistent pattern. She uses every dispute, old and new, as fuel for her online persona and her business. But outrage as a strategy isn’t sustainable. Once the shock of a dramatic incident wears off, another shock has to be manufactured to keep her name trending and subscribers flowing.

Lil Tay has been fighting since she was 9—against critics, rivals, and a public perception that shifts rapidly. What she thinks she needs now is someone willing to step into the ring, literal or metaphorical. Will Bhad Bhabie take the bait and agree to a showdown, or will Tay have to keep hunting for sparring partners? The real question is who will get tired first: Lil Tay, or the audience that eventually grows weary of her tactics and moves on?