Former two-division boxing champion Paulie Malignaggi retired from boxing in 2017 following an eighth-round knockout loss to Sam Eggington. After spending two years away from competition, Malignaggi decided to return to fighting in June 2019—but not in a boxing ring. Instead, he stepped into the world of bare-knuckle fighting.

He made his debut under the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) banner against UFC veteran and Conor McGregor’s longtime training partner, Artem Lobov, at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa. Although Malignaggi lost the bout via unanimous decision, six years later, he has made his return to bare-knuckle combat once again — this time under the Bare Knuckle Boxing promotional banner.

Paulie Malignaggi suffered a gruesome injury

Fighting at Planet Ice in Leeds, England, live on VICE TV, ‘Magic Man’ Paulie Malignaggi faced Tyler Goodjohn in a patented triangular ring. The bout consisted of five three-minute rounds and turned into a brutal, back-and-forth war. Malignaggi started strong with his trademark technical boxing, but midway through, Goodjohn connected with heavy shots that rocked him and opened deep cuts. Both men were left bloodied — Goodjohn from facial lacerations and Malignaggi from a severe gash above his eye that eventually swelled shut, temporarily blinding him on that side. 

Despite the damage, Malignaggi dug deep in the later rounds, relying on slick defense and sharp counters to edge ahead in a vintage display of grit and experience. In the end, he earned a split-decision victory, with scores reading 48-47, 48-47 for Malignaggi and 47-48 for Goodjohn. After the fight, Boxing King Media reported that the 44-year-old had been rushed to the hospital for treatment. “Keep Paulie Malignaggi in your thoughts and prayers tonight as he receives hospital treatment for injuries sustained during his bare-knuckle victory earlier this evening,” they wrote on X, sharing photos of the former champion.

“Paulie rolled back the years, delivering a vintage performance and a boxing masterclass in his win over Tyler Goodjohn.” Meanwhile, Malignaggi commented on his injuries after his fight.

Malignaggi claims he couldn’t see

Malignaggi’s hard-fought win came at a heavy cost. In the aftermath, the former world champion revealed the extent of his alarming eye injury, admitting that his vision had been severely impaired. “After that eye poke, when I went down, I still can’t see,” he said during the post-fight interview. “I’m still foggy on this side. That may be why I got hit with that shot that cut me.”

He went on to elaborate further on the severity of the issue. “I’m still very foggy on this eye after that eye poke. Hopefully, I’ll go to the back and get it taken care of,” he continued. “I wouldn’t say I am completely… but actually, I am blind in this eye right now. Yeah, it’s very foggy. I finished the fight with one eye essentially because, right now, I can’t see out of this eye. I just see shadows.”

Having said that, it appears Paulie Malignaggi has made a successful comeback to combat sports, even though it wasn’t as smooth as he might have wanted. What do you think about his injury?