Out of nowhere, former boxer Paulie Malignaggi has signed an exclusive deal with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship and is slated to make his debut in June.
The 38-year old, who won world titles at super lightweight and welterweight, retired in 2017 but is now embarking on a new venture with the growing MMA promotion.
"BKFC is the new wave in combat sports," 'the Magic Man' said in a press release.
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"They're doing great things and I'm very excited to be a part of this organization. I've accomplished some big things in boxing career, and I look forward to what this next phase brings.
"After a long boxing career, it's easy to miss the limelight and the rush that combat brings. I look forward to getting back in action and the new challenge of fighting for BKFC."
What's more, is there is talk that BKFC are hoping for a fight between Malignaggi and Conor McGregor's teammate Artem Lobov, should he be successful in his debut against UFC veteran Jason Knight next month.
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Helen Yee of NBC Sports Radio is the source of the story and though Bare Knuckle FC president Dave Feldman said there's no confirmation just yet, he did tell MMA Fighting a fight between the two "could make a lot of sense".
You'll remember that Malignaggi was McGregor's sparring partner ahead of his money fight with Floyd Mayweather in Las Vegas back in 2017 and the two developed a massive feud.
It all stemmed from Malignaggi deeming footage of them sparring released to be give an unfair reflection of what actually went on between the ropes.
The pair would then regularly go back and forth on social media, with Malignaggi even challenging McGregor to a 'winner takes all boxing match' in January.
Featured Image Credit:Topics: Conor Mcgregor, Boxing News, Artem Lobov, MMA News, Paulie Malignaggi, Boxing, UFC, MMA, Floyd Mayweather
