Former two-division boxing champion Paulie Malignaggi will try to become a two-sport champion on May 16.
A former junior welterweight and welterweight titleholder from Brooklyn, New York, Malignaggi will face Rolando Dy for the BKB junior middleweight championship at a venue in Manchester, England, the promotion announced Friday.
Malignaggi, who has a pro boxing record of 36-8 (7 KOs) and a bare knuckle boxing record of 1-1, most recently fought in October, outpointing bare knuckle veteran Tyler Goodjohn by split decision. Malignaggi didn’t escape unscathed, however, as an eye poke and a deep cut above his right eye left him wearing a patch for weeks after the fight, with stitches marring his face.
The experience did little to dampen the enthusiasm of the 45-year-old Malignaggi.
"I proved I can still perform at this level, even through injury,” he said. “Bare knuckle is raw and real, and I love it. Becoming a two-sport world champion would mean everything – it's about legacy, not just another fight.
“Dy is tough, with that fighter's bloodline and MMA background, but I'm ready to take the belt and make history.”
The bloodline Malignaggi is referring to is Dy’s father, former WBC junior lightweight titleholder Rolando Navarrete, a Filipino fan favorite who won the title in 1981 and fought top fighters such as Alexis Arguello, Cornelius Boza Edwards and Rafael "Bazooka" Limon.
Dy, 35, fought briefly in the UFC and has a 5-1 record in bare knuckle boxing.
“Paulie is a legend in boxing, but this is bare knuckle,” Dy said in a press release. “I’ve fought the best in multiple sports, and I'll defend my title the hard way. Manchester and the world will see why I'm the champion.”
Ryan Songalia is a reporter and editor for BoxingScene.com and has written for ESPN, the New York Daily News, Rappler, The Guardian, Vice and The Ring magazine. He holds a Master’s degree in Journalism from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism and is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be reached at ryansongalia@gmail.com or on Twitter at @ryansongalia.
