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| Credit: BKB Bareknuckle Boxing |
Press Release: June 17, 2025 By BKB Bareknuckle Boxing - Miami, Florida - Former IBF junior welterweight and WBA welterweight champion Paulie “Magic Man” Malignaggi announced today his return to fighting, signing a three-fight deal with BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing in hopes of becoming a 2-sport world champion and adding the historic Police Gazette Diamond Belt to his collection.
Malignaggi, who has served as BKB’s color commentator and lead analyst since 2021, will fight in the BKB Super Welterweight division and is slated to return to action and make his Trigon debut at BKB 45 on September 6 in Bristol, England.
Malignaggi, born in Brooklyn, New York and raised in Sicily, holds a professional boxing record of 36-8 and has fought some of the biggest names in the sport including Miguel Cotto, Shawn Porter, Adrian Broner, Ricky Hatton and Zab Judah.
He notes that while it would be easy to leverage his name for an immediate shot at a BKB Bare Knuckle title (currently held by Wales’ Liam Rees), his desire is to first fight a contender and work his way to a shot at the title rather than leapfrogging fighters who have put in their time into the sport.
Said Malignaggi, “ I could easily use my position to jump right back into a title fight. But you know what? That's not what I'm going to do. I respect the fighters too much. Here at BKB, there's really good contenders in the super welterweight division. I know that I when this announcement gets around to the contenders, they're all going to want a piece of me. I want to fight one of those top contenders and earn my spot. I don't want to jump the line. I still got what got the goods and I'm chasing that title.”
BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing consists of 5 3-minute rounds (6x3 for title fights) and is fought in the patented triangular ring, the Mighty Trigon - the smallest fighting surface in combat sports. Malignaggi feels that both the Trigon and the number of rounds best suit him at this stage of his career, and that his experience will be advantageous to his success.
“Having sat ringside at BKB for three years, taking in these amazing fights, I'm always thinking, ‘These guys are impressive, but you know what? I think I can still do that.’ I used to fight 10, 12 rounds. I can still do 5 or 6 rounds.
“Ultimately, I want to prove something to myself. I’m in the best shape I’ve been in in years, and being able to say I’ve been at the top of the game in two sports would just solidify my legacy in fighting. I don’t know who my first opponent will be yet, but I am confident that BKB will give me someone I can really test myself against.”
BKB’s next event will be this Saturday at 6 CT when Bare Knuckle Boxing makes its Tennessee debut at The Pinnacle in Nashville for BKB 42 Musich City Brawl. BKB then returns to the UK July 5 for BKB 43 in Bristol, England. BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing airs live exclusively on VICE TV in the US and Canada and on talkSPORT in the UK and Ireland. Visit bkbbareknuckle.com for tickets, information and all ways to watch.
About Paulie Malignaggi
One of the biggest personalities in combat sports, Paulie Malignaggi, a former 2-division boxing champion (having held the IBF junior welterweight and WBA welterweight titles), currently serves as BKB’s lead color commentator. In addition to BKB, Malignaggi calls fights for ProBox TV and hosts his on YouTube show, Paulie TV. Previously, he was part of Showtime’s boxing broadcast team. He has appeared in numerous television programs and movies including Gravesend, Bluebloods, and Undefeated, and had a feature documentary on his life leading up to his fight with Miguel Cotto, entitled Magic Man, which later aired on Showtime.
About BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing
In the past two years, BKB (originally BYB) has purchased the UK-based BKB, the world’s oldest professional bare knuckle boxing company, and in doing so merged the organizations to create the largest bare knuckle boxing company in the world in terms of roster, library and distribution; ushered in ethical and legalized gambling to the sport; acquired the rights to the historic and prestigious Police Gazette Diamond Belt which now serves as the Bare Knuckle Boxing World Championship; and brought bare knuckle boxing to lineal television in the United States with the recent deal with VICE TV, and to mainstream in the UK with a recent partnership with News UK’s talkSPORT. For more information, visit bkbbareknuckle.com or follow @bkbbareknuckle on all social media platforms.
Material and Photo Courtesy of: BKB Bareknuckle Boxing Used with permission.
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