Victor Ortiz vs Paulie Malignaggi Bare-Knuckle Clash Set for December

Victor Ortiz and Paulie Malignaggi are switching from boxing gloves to bare knuckles. The former world champions will headline BKB 62 on Dec. 5 at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles. They are set to meet in a five-round super welterweight clash inside the BKB's three-sided Triagon ring. 

Two Former Champions Enter the Bare-Knuckle World 

39-year-old Ortiz, a former WBC welterweight champ, wrapped up his boxing career with a solid 33-7-3 record and 25 knockouts. He switched things up last July, stepping into BB for the first time and defeating Dominic Salcido by unanimous decision over five rounds. 

Now 45, Malignaggi captured the IFB junior-welterweight title back in his boxing days and hung up his gloves in 2018 with a 36-8 record. He is already 1-2 in bare-knuckle boxing, but it's been a rocky road, having recently suffered a second-round stoppage loss to Rolando Dy in May. 

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What makes this matchup even more interesting is that these two fighters have never before crossed paths in their boxing careers. Now, they're set to finally face off under a very different set of circumstances.

Malignaggi believes this matchup holds the kind of star power that will bring regular boxing fans to tune in to bare-knuckle boxing. 

“To make boxing fans show up for bare-knuckle, you gotta put two big-name boxers in the mix,” Malignaggi told USA TODAY Sports. “And I think right now, this is one of the biggest fights you can make in the whole sport of bare-knuckle.”

With both fighters having already experienced BKB's unique format, Ortiz and Malignaggi have a real chance to settle a matchup that failed to materialize during their boxing careers, but this time, without the gloves. 

Ortiz and Malignaggi Bring Different Experiences

Ortiz is set to enter his second bare-knuckle fight after beating Dominic Sacido by decision in his BKB debut. On the other hand, Malignaggi has three fights in the format already, offering him more experience without the traditional gloves. 

While Ortiz brings greater knockout power, Malignaggi holds more familiarity with BKB's unique demands. Their December bout will test which former champ can adapt best.