LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA (OCTOBER 10, 2026) — BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing today announced a blockbuster main event for BKB 62 on Saturday, December 5, as former world champions Victor Ortiz and Paulie Malignaggi square off inside the Trigon inside The Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles.
A dream matchup that many felt should have happened during their time as world champions in boxing, Ortiz and Malignaggi will finally meet, but this time with the gloves off, as they go head-to-head inside the Trigon. Tickets go on sale October 12 at bkbbareknuckle.com/bkb62.
“We’re going to the Orpheum. It’s a 100-year old theater in downtown LA. It’s going to house BKB in a big way, with Paulie Malignaggi fighting Victor Ortiz. One hell of a fight, should’ve happened years ago in traditional boxing. We’re bringing it to the fans that made LA as special as it was in a really big way,” said BKB CEO David Tetreault.
A former WBC Welterweight World Champion who once ranked among the division’s elite, Ortiz (1-0, 0 KO) compiled a 33-7-3 professional boxing record, with 25 victories by knockout. Throughout his career, he shared the ring with some of the sport’s biggest names, including Floyd Mayweather Jr., Andre Berto, Marcos Maidana and Robert Guerrero. Ortiz was triumphant in his bare knuckle boxing debut, beating Dominick Salcido by unanimous decision at BKB 56 in Los Angeles.
“I’ve been in some of the biggest fights of my career, and now I’m ready for a completely different challenge in the Trigon. Paulie is a former world champion with a lot of experience, but this is bare knuckle boxing and I’m coming in prepared to fight. I’m excited to give the fans a great show and show everyone what Vicious Ortiz is all about,” said Victor Ortiz.
Malignaggi (1-2, 0 KOs), meanwhile, brings more than a decade of professional boxing experience into the Trigon. The former two-division world champion compiled a 38-8 professional record, including seven victories by knockout, and faced elite competition such as Danny Garcia, Shawn Porter, Zab Judah, Adrien Broner, Amir Khan and the late Ricky Hatton. He has also tested himself against some of bare knuckle boxing’s top competitors, most recently challenging Rolando Dy for the BKB Super Welterweight World Championship.
“Myself and Victor was a fight that was constantly talked about, about 20 years ago, 15 years ago. We were both world champions around the same time, we were among the big names in professional boxing. It didn’t happen then, it almost happened a couple of times, it didn’t happen, and sure enough, life comes full circle. Be ready, Vic. December 5th, I’m coming to your hometown, and I’m taking you out,” said Paulie Malignaggi.
BKB 62 marks the organization’s return to Los Angeles and serves as the penultimate event in a landmark 2026 campaign for BKB.
Additional event details, ticket information and supporting bouts will be announced soon.