Robert Duran Jr. will replace Paulie Malignaggi against Victor
Ortiz in the main event of BKB 62 on Dec. 5 at the Orpheum Theatre
in Los Angeles.
BKB announced the change Thursday, saying Malignaggi withdrew for
personal reasons. The promotion had announced the Ortiz-Malignaggi
bout in October.
Robert Duran Jr. steps into the Dec. 5 bare-knuckle main event
after Paulie Malignaggi withdraws for personal reasons
Duran Jr., the son of four-division boxing world champion Roberto
Duran, went 13-4 with 10 knockouts in professional boxing. He made
his bare-knuckle debut in 2024 with a third-round technical
knockout of then-BKB welterweight champion Javon Wright. He is 4-2
in BKB, with all four wins coming by stoppage. Most recently, he
stopped Ryan Spivey in the first round at BKB 58 in August.
“When an opportunity like this comes along, you have to take it,”
Duran Jr. said in a press release. “Victor Ortiz is a legend in
boxing, a former world champion who has shared the ring with some
of the best in the sport. I have a tremendous amount of respect for
what he has accomplished, but once that bell rings, it’s all
business. I’m stepping in to make the most of this opportunity,
prove what I can do, and show the world that I belong on this
stage.”
Ortiz (33-7-3, 25 KOs in professional boxing), a former WBC
welterweight champion, won his bare-knuckle debut by unanimous
decision over Dominic Salcido at BKB 56.
FIGHT UPDATE 🚨 Second-generation star Robert
Duran Jr. replaces Paulie Malignaggi in the main event of BKB 62:
Los Angeles against Victor Ortiz. #BKB62 | SAT DEC 5 | 🎟️ Tickets
at https://t.co/pxqt1WO5bQ https://t.co/dDBVO26Or6
— BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing (@bkbbareknuckle)
November 12, 2026