Given the animosity between new Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) fighters Paulie Malignaggi and Artem Lobov, one had to assume thing might get heated when they ultimately ended up on a room together.
That’s just what happened when they crossed paths at a media day in New York on Tuesday.
In video o the incident, Paulie Malignaggi can be seen slapping Artem Lobov, sparking a wild skirmish.
See this video, captured by Darren Russell below.
Once the pair had been separated, a fired up Malignaggi could be heard pelting Lobov with threats.
“Don’t get in my face and make threats here,” he says. “I got in your face to promote. Don’t get in my face and make threats here cause I’ll f**k you up here.”
“I’m going to put you in a body bag,” he continues. “I’m going to make sure I kill you in June. You’re going to end up in a cemetery. You disrespect boxing, you piece of shit? After all the fighters that have been hurt?”
“I’m going to f***ing kill you. I’m going to kill you.”
Artem Lobov is scheduled to fight fellow UFC veteran Jason Knight in the main event of BKFC 5 this weekend. If he wins this fight, the expectation is that he will fight the retired boxer Paulie Malignaggi sometime later this year.
The heat between Lobov and Malignaggi stems from Malignaggi’s longstanding beef with Lobov’s friend and training partner Conor McGregor.
Malignaggi has long campaigned for a fight with McGregor, but seems content to settle for a fight with his stablemate.
Do you think we’ll see Paulie Malignaggi and Artem Lobov fight later this year? Who do you think will win?
This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 4/2/2019.