ROLANDO Dy will defend his Bare Knuckle Boxing (BKB) super-welterweight title for the first time against boxing legend Paul Malignaggi on May 16, 2026, in Manchester, England.
The 35-year-old Dy has quickly become one of the rising stars in bare-knuckle boxing. Before switching to BKB, he competed in mixed martial arts (MMA) and even fought in the UFC, the biggest MMA organization in the world, from 2017 to 2018. Dy had one win and three losses during his UFC stint.
Dy made his BKB debut in 2022, knocking out Thailand’s Apisit Sangmuang in the first round. After another win in 2023, he suffered his first bare-knuckle loss in 2024, losing by unanimous decision to Martin Reffell.
But Dy bounced back with knockout wins over Hayden Sherriff and Roberto Duran Jr., earning a shot at the BKB super-welterweight title in 2025. He defeated undefeated Liam Rees by unanimous decision to become the new champion.
Malignaggi, 45, has only two bare-knuckle fights but is a famous former professional boxer. He is a two-division world champion and has faced top fighters like Miguel Cotto, the late Ricky Hatton, Amir Khan, Adrian Broner, Shawn Porter, and Zab Judah.
Malignaggi made his BKB debut in 2019, losing a close decision to former UFC fighter Artem Lobov. He returned last year and won against Tyler Goodjohn by split decision.
Dy has a BKB record of 5-1, with all five wins by knockout. Malignaggi is 1-1 in bare-knuckle boxing but has a professional boxing record of 36 wins, 8 losses, and 7 knockouts. / EKA