Victor Ortiz and Paulie Malignaggi are confirmed to headline BKB 62 at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles on Dec. 5, 2026, with no other bouts announced yet.
What we know
- BKB 62 takes place at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles on Dec. 5, 2026, with Ortiz vs. Malignaggi as the main event.
- BKB announced the fight in writing on Oct. 10, after a social media reveal on Oct. 2.
- Ortiz signed a multi-fight, multi-year BKB agreement on March 5.
- Malignaggi signed a three-fight BKB deal in June 2025.
- Rolando Dy retained the BKB super welterweight title by beating Malignaggi in May at the AO Arena in Manchester.
Reported, not confirmed
-
JoJo Diaz has discussed a December return but has not named an opponent and is not confirmed for BKB 62.
MiddleEasy
Two former boxing champions who never fought in gloves will now meet without them. BKB has booked Victor Ortiz against Paulie Malignaggi for the main event of BKB 62 in Los Angeles, and both men arrive with something to prove in the bare-knuckle format.
Ortiz, 39, is the fresher of the two in this sport. His bare-knuckle debut at BKB 56 was a five-round unanimous decision over Dominic Salcido at the Novo at LA Live, and both men weighed in at 153.6 pounds. He signed a multi-fight, multi-year BKB deal in March, so this is a commitment rather than a one-off. His boxing résumé includes a 2011 decision over Andre Berto, and BKB lists his boxing record as 33 wins, seven losses and three draws, with 25 knockouts.
Malignaggi, 45, comes in off a setback. Rolando Dy stopped him in round two of a super welterweight title fight in Manchester in May, and Dy kept the belt. Malignaggi signed a three-fight BKB deal in June 2025 and has also worked on the promotion's commentary team since 2021. He said then that he wanted a championship in a second fighting discipline.
The matchup has a long history. Malignaggi said it was discussed during their boxing championship years, but earlier attempts fell through. His message ended with a promise to take Ortiz out in what he called Ortiz's hometown. Ortiz acknowledged Malignaggi's experience, said bare-knuckle is a different challenge, and said he would arrive prepared. BKB chief executive David Tetreault pitched it as a long-delayed attraction for Los Angeles fans.
Under BKB's unified rules, punches thrown with a clenched bare fist are legal, including in the clinch, where holding behind the neck is allowed. Strikes behind the head, kicks, takedowns, elbows and headbutts are fouls. Experienced professional boxers are not automatically bound by the four-round limit for first-time combat-sports professionals, and the commission approves the scheduled format.
The rest of the card has not been announced. JoJo Diaz, who stopped Nate Williams in round one in his bare-knuckle debut at BKB 56, has spoken about a December return without naming an opponent, but he is not confirmed for this event. The next things to watch are the round count the commission approves and any supporting bouts.
Ortiz, 39, is the fresher of the two in this sport. His bare-knuckle debut at BKB 56 was a five-round unanimous decision over Dominic Salcido at the Novo at LA Live, and both men weighed in at 153.6 pounds. He signed a multi-fight, multi-year BKB deal in March, so this is a commitment rather than a one-off. His boxing résumé includes a 2011 decision over Andre Berto, and BKB lists his boxing record as 33 wins, seven losses and three draws, with 25 knockouts.
Malignaggi, 45, comes in off a setback. Rolando Dy stopped him in round two of a super welterweight title fight in Manchester in May, and Dy kept the belt. Malignaggi signed a three-fight BKB deal in June 2025 and has also worked on the promotion's commentary team since 2021. He said then that he wanted a championship in a second fighting discipline.
The matchup has a long history. Malignaggi said it was discussed during their boxing championship years, but earlier attempts fell through. His message ended with a promise to take Ortiz out in what he called Ortiz's hometown. Ortiz acknowledged Malignaggi's experience, said bare-knuckle is a different challenge, and said he would arrive prepared. BKB chief executive David Tetreault pitched it as a long-delayed attraction for Los Angeles fans.
Under BKB's unified rules, punches thrown with a clenched bare fist are legal, including in the clinch, where holding behind the neck is allowed. Strikes behind the head, kicks, takedowns, elbows and headbutts are fouls. Experienced professional boxers are not automatically bound by the four-round limit for first-time combat-sports professionals, and the commission approves the scheduled format.
The rest of the card has not been announced. JoJo Diaz, who stopped Nate Williams in round one in his bare-knuckle debut at BKB 56, has spoken about a December return without naming an opponent, but he is not confirmed for this event. The next things to watch are the round count the commission approves and any supporting bouts.
- Summary
- Victor Ortiz and Paulie Malignaggi are confirmed to headline BKB 62 at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles on Dec. 5, 2026, with no other bouts announced yet.
- Key points (one per line)
- Ortiz vs. Malignaggi headlines BKB 62 at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles on Dec. 5, 2026
Ortiz is 1-0 in bare-knuckle after beating Dominic Salcido at BKB 56
Malignaggi was stopped in round two by Rolando Dy in his BKB title shot in Manchester
- Also reported by (Name | URL per line)
- MiddleEasy | https://middleeasy.com/bare-knuckle-boxing/victor-ortiz-paulie-malignaggi-bkb62-los-angeles-december5/
Last edited:
What they're saying
Fighters in this story
Paulie Malignaggi
Victor OrtizSources
Summarized with AI from the sources above. Read the originals for the full story.
Is this story accurate?
Updated
This story just changed.