Dec 7, 2013; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Zab Judah (red trunks) and Paulie Malignaggi (black trunks) hug after their NABF Welterweight Title bout at Barclays Center. Malignaggi won via unanimous decision. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

44-Year-Old Former Boxing Champion Set To Fight Again - Without Gloves

Originally posted on KO on SI | By Joseph Hammond | Last updated Jun 19, 2025 8:38 PM ET

Pauli Malignaggi, a former world champion, is set to return to a three-sided boxing ring without gloves.

Malignaggi has inked a three-fight deal with Bare Knuckle Boxing (BKB). His first fight under the agreement is scheduled for September 6, when he will fight an opponent to be named at BKB 45 in the English town of Bristol.

The former New York boxing standout rose to become the IBF super lightweight champion. His boxing career was at times brilliant and at times brutal, including notable fights with New York rival Zab Judah, Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto, Shawn Porter, and Adrien Broner. After leaving the ring, he served as a boxing commentator known for excellent technical analysis.

Now, Malignaggi has announced an unlikely boxing return after having not competed since 2019. That year, he came up short against former UFC fighter Artem Lobov in another bare-knuckle fight, BKFC 6.

https://t.co/DZmYDQxfJI
— Paul Malignaggi (@PaulMalignaggi) June 19, 2025

" 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," said Malignaggi in a media interview.

Other fighters from his era, including Sugar Shane Mosely and Victor Ortiz Jr., are eyeing their own boxing matches in the United Kingdom this year.

This article first appeared on KO on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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