TWO huge rivals are set to go head-to-head in a bare-knuckle contest in Tampa.
Former three-time boxing world champion Paulie Malignaggi makes his long awaited bow in the sport and will go up against Russian MMA star Artem Lobov.
The pair have had a long-running dispute since 2017, when footage leaked of Malignaggi getting dropped in sparring by Lobov’s friend and training partner Conor McGregor.
And after the Russian saw off Jason Knight back in April, he's now set to go up against the boxing legend in a brutal match-up.
When is Malignaggi vs Lobov?
THIS fight is topping the bill at BKFC 6 in Florida.
It will be held on Saturday, June 22.
Things get underway at 1am BST, so the early hours of Sunday morning on this side of the pond.
Which TV channel and live stream can I watch it on?
THIS bout isn't being broadcast by a TV channel in the UK.
But it is available as a pay-per-view event through streaming service Fite.tv.
Head over to their website to purchase the evening's entertainment for $39.99.
What they said
Paulie Malignaggi: "I think of it like, thank god that this fan base in MMA is so f****** stupid that they actually have made this possible.
"A fight this easy is possible in a main event situation. That’s how I look at it.
"I’m fighting this guy, who I don’t think has ever fought a guy who’s been a world champion, let alone fight for a title. So I catch myself and say I can only be thankful.
"There’s no way realistically possible to have a fight this easy against a bum of this level unless there is a fan base this stupid."
Artem Lobov: “I get the hardest sparring partners. A lot of very, very good boxers, you know? He said I never fought a boxer before.
"He was never that exceptional. Malignaggi is old and slow and finished. There’s nothing there that he can surprise me with."
Who else is fighting on the card?
- Paulie Malignalli vs Artem Lobov
- Chris Leban vs Brennan Ward
- Reginald Barnett Jr vs Johnny Bedford
- Joey Beltran vs Jamie Campbell
- Tom Shoaff vs Julian Lane
- Abdiel Velazquez vs Travis Thompson
- Elvin Leon Brito vs Jim Alers
Source: Read Full Article