Robert Duran Jr steps in for Paulie Malignaggi to fight Victor Ortiz at BKB 62
Malignaggi has withdrawn from the Los Angeles main event on 5 December for personal reasons, handing the 4-2 bare-knuckle fighter a headline bout against the former WBC welterweight champion.
Robert Duran Jr, son of Roberto “Hands of Stone” Duran, will face Victor Ortiz in the main event of BKB 62 at The Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles on Saturday, 5 December 2026.
He replaces Paulie Malignaggi, who BKB announced will no longer compete for personal reasons. The promotion gave no further explanation. The switch means the card loses a meeting between two former boxing world champions, but Duran Jr arrives with far more bare-knuckle experience than his opponent: six BKB appearances to Ortiz's one.
The Miami fighter is 4-2 in the format, and every one of his wins has come by knockout or technical knockout. He began in 2024 by stopping Javon Wright in the third round, then beat Joshua Sikes before losing a split decision to Serob Minasyan and being stopped in the third round by Rolando Dy. Victories over Austin Spivey and Ryan Spivey followed, the most recent at BKB 58 in Miami on 29 August, when he stopped Ryan Spivey at 1:49 of the first round.
Before moving to bare-knuckle, Duran Jr went 13-4 with 10 knockouts as a professional boxer, according to BKB's announcement of the change.
Ortiz won the WBC welterweight title by beating Andre Berto in April 2011, and his boxing career also brought fights with Floyd Mayweather Jr, Marcos Maidana and Robert Guerrero. He made his BKB debut at BKB 56 in Los Angeles on 18 July, beating Dominic Salcido by unanimous decision.
Duran Jr said: “Victor Ortiz is a legend in boxing, a former world champion who has shared the ring with some of the best in the sport.” He added: “I have a tremendous amount of respect for what he has accomplished, but once that bell rings, it’s all business.”
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