Paulie Malignaggi to face Victor Ortiz in bare-knuckle bout in Los Angeles

Paulie Malignaggi will fight Victor Ortiz in a bare-knuckle boxing match on December 5 in Los Angeles.

Both men are former boxing world champions from the same generation, and they never fought each other as professional boxers.

Ortiz made his bare-knuckle debut in July, winning a unanimous decision against Dominic Salcido.

Malignaggi is returning after losing to Rolando Dy in May while trying to win a bare-knuckle title.

He has criticized how some bare-knuckle fights unfold, but says he remains willing to face top opponents.

Malignaggi expects the matchup with Ortiz to draw attention because both fighters are well-known names.

The bout is titled “King of the Game.”