Victor Ortiz and Paulie Malignaggi Set for Bare-Knuckle Main Event in Los Angeles
Former world champions Victor Ortiz and Paulie Malignaggi will headline BKB 62 on Dec. 5 in Los Angeles.
Two former world champions are taking their gloves off. Literally.
Victor Ortiz and Paulie Malignaggi will square off in the main event of BKB 62 on December 5 at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles. The super welterweight bout is scheduled for five rounds in BKB's three-sided Trigon ring, per LowKick MMA.
Ortiz, 39, held the WBC welterweight title after beating Andre Berto in April 2011. He compiled a 33-7-3 record with 25 knockouts across his professional boxing career. His last gloved bout came in May 2022, a decision win over Todd Manuel. Ortiz made his bare-knuckle debut at BKB 56 in July and picked up a unanimous decision over Dominic Salcido.
Malignaggi, 45, won the IBF junior welterweight title in 2007 and later claimed a welterweight world title. He finished his gloved career at 36-8 with seven knockouts, retiring in March 2017. His bare-knuckle record sits at 1-2, with his most recent outing being a stoppage loss to champion Rolando Dy in May.
Both fighters built their names on skill and durability rather than raw power, which should make for a technical bare-knuckle fight. The Orpheum Theatre setting gives it a throwback feel that suits the matchup.
This is one of those fights that sounds crazy on paper but actually makes a lot of sense. Ortiz and Malignaggi are both past their prime in traditional boxing, but bare-knuckle gives aging fighters a second act. Neither guy was ever a huge puncher, so the lack of gloves evens the playing field in a different way.
Ortiz looked decent in his BKB debut and he's the younger man by six years. Malignaggi is coming off a stoppage loss, which isn't great going into a fight where you can't hide behind 10-ounce gloves. I'd lean Ortiz here, but Paulie's ring IQ has always been elite and the Trigon is a weird environment that rewards craft.
The Orpheum Theatre in LA is a cool setting for this. Bare-knuckle in a historic venue with two former champs headlining. If you're a fight fan, that's a fun night out.
