Paulie Malignaggi is aiming to become a two-sport champion in the coming weeks when the decorated gloved boxing titleholder vies for bare-knuckle gold, and a former BKFC champ has weighed in on this. The combatant in question is Mike Richman, and mutual respect was shown when Richman won his first BKFC strap, the interim light heavyweight crown from Isaac Doolittle.
In the wake of that BKFC 31 title fight, Paulie Malignaggi tipped his cap to ‘The Marine’ around that point in a social media post from Richman. ‘The Magic Man’ recently bested Tyler Goodjohn to earn his first win in gloveless combat, and over a former BKB champ no less, after a 2019 loss to Artem Lobov in the BKFC ring.