PAULIE MALIGNAGGI has been offered a Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship title fight against Luis Palomino.
The former two-weight boxing champion debuted in BKFC in 2019, losing a disputed points decision against Artem Lobov.
Malignaggi broke his right hand during the grudge match against Conor McGregor’s training partner, and announced his retirement afterwards.
But in an interview on The Schmozone, the New Yorker revealed BKFC president Dave Feldman opened talks for a return.
And despite defeat to Lobov, he would be in line for a title shot against lightweight champion Palomino, an ex-MMA fighter.
Malignaggi, 40, said: “Listen, BKFC paid me well, and obviously I think they would pay me good money again, but it would have to be more than money.
“And Palomino has a championship. For me to kind of get that feather in my cap, if that deal can be worked out, I’m open to that as well.
“Palomino is a great fighter, he won a tournament to win that championship, so he’s not just a guy who has a random championship.
“So for me, to be able to pick up some kind of other accolade like that, with the combination of accolades that I’ve accomplished in my career that would be a kind of cool thing to finish up on.
“And I can do it all in one night, you know. So, if that presents itself, it’s definitely something that interests me.”
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Malignaggi added negotiations are at a preliminary stage, with no time frame on the potential comeback set.
The American retired in March 2017 after defeat to Brit Sam Eggington, but in the same year he hit the headlines for his feud with McGregor.
Malignaggi sparred the UFC superstar twice, but released images and footage of the sessions caused him to storm out.
He failed in attempts to fight McGregor, and ended up settling for Lobov, and still argues his defeat against the Russian till this day.
Malignaggi also revealed he was approached about fighting YouTuber Jake Paul, 24, who is 2-0 and weighs around FOUR STONE more than the retired boxer.
He said: “Celebrity boxing actually wanted my permission to try and sell me as the next guy on the Jake Paul hit list.
“But I was like, ‘I don’t know how that works’. He’s kind of a big guy, I don’t think that’s going to get sanctioned.
“They were like, ‘Well, you know, he’s kind of progressing and you’re like a retired fighter and we don’t want a big knockout puncher so he’s not at a risk to hurt him too badly but at the same time has the legitimacy as a champion. You’re smaller, he’s bigger so there’s advantages on both sides.
“I was like I guess, but I don’t know if Jake is yet ready to fight a real, even legitimate ex-boxer.
“I think he’s got to progress where he’s going.”
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
