Malignaggi Returns To BKB Despite Prior Health Scare
Former two-division boxing champion Paulie Malignaggi will face reigning champion Rolando Dy on May 16 for the latter’s BKB World Super Welterweight Title.
The bout will take place in Manchester, England, as part of Malignaggi’s second fight from his three-bout deal with BKB. Malignaggi is coming off a hard-fought debut win against Tyler Goodjohn via a split decision last year. The victory came at a high cost; Malignaggi suffered a severe eye poke and a deep laceration above his right eye that required numerous stitches and left him wearing a patch for several weeks post-fight.
“During the fight, I was seeing a white cloud on my right side, but I thought it was partial vision, I didn’t realise it was completely gone until the end of the fight. I had blurry vision for a long time; it probably hasn’t come back 100 per cent just yet. It’s probably 90 per cent of what it was before, which is better than I expected because I wasn’t expecting much to come back,” Malignaggi stated
Meanwhile, Dy is no pushover. He became the first-ever Filipino bare-knuckle world champion on December 5 last year after defeating Liam Rees in Cardiff. Dy is the son of boxer Rolando Navarrete, the former WBC Super Featherweight Champion. A win for Malignaggi adds a belt in another sport, elevating his legacy further.
Reaction
“I proved I can still perform at this level, even through injury. 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,” Paulie
“Paulie is a legend in boxing, but this is bare knuckle. 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,” Dy
“Paulie has already shown he belongs in bare knuckle with his gutsy win over Tyler Goodjohn. This title fight against Rolando Dy is the perfect next chapter – two warriors with world-class pedigrees colliding in the Trigon. Fans are in for something special as Paulie chases that historic two-sport status,” BKB CEO David Tetreault said
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