Paulie Malignaggi vs Artem Lobov Betting Odds

Bare-Knuckle Boxing: Malignaggi vs Lobov Odds And Prediction

A lot of beef could be settled and blood spilled when former two-division boxing champion Paulie “Magic Man” Malignaggi stands toe to toe with former UFC featherweight competitor Artem “The Russian Hammer” Lobov at Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship 6 on June 22. The Russian, Lobov, is 1-0 in his bare-knuckle boxing career but is a +180 underdog with the New York native, Malignaggi, coming back at -220.

Odds Analysis

I was a little surprised that there was this much disparity in the odds for this scrap. Malignaggi hasn’t been in a sanctioned bout since his eighth-round knockout loss to Sam Eggington in March 2017 and hasn’t earned a win since July 2016. Meanwhile, Lobov has been fairly active, fighting in the UFC in October of last year, and earned a decision win over Jason Knight in his bare-knuckle debut in April.

How Did This Fight Come To Be?

There is a ton of bad blood heading into this fight stemming from a sparring session between Malignaggi and Lobov’s friend and training partner Conor McGregor ahead of his fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. McGregor released a video of him dropping Malignaggi which the former boxing champion claims was a slip. Since then, Paulie has been calling for a boxing match with McGregor to clear his name, but instead, he’s getting Lobov.

The Russian Hammer has been calling the Magic Man out to defend his friend and on June 22 his calls will be answered. In a press conference between the two recently, Malignaggi spit on Lobov after a stare-down when words were exchanged.

How Will This Fight Play Out?

There are a couple of aspects to this fight that are really intriguing and we really don’t know how they will play out until the fight begins. The first is the ability to engage in a clinch, which gives an advantage to Lobov if he can get a Thai clinch in and do some real damage in tight. That being said, Malignaggi has tremendous footwork that should allow him to be able to stick and move without getting clinched.

The second is the lack of gloves for the fight overall. There’s a difference between punching with 10- to 16-ounce gloves like Paulie’s used to using in his boxing career compared to the four-ounce gloves Lobov has used in his UFC career. Now there are no gloves, which leaves the hands more susceptible to breaks if you attempt to throw at full power, which could be a learning curve in Malignaggi’s debut.

Both men have excellent chins and are very durable. I think Malignaggi is far superior in nearly every aspect of the fight, with great footwork and head movement while also having very fast hands. However, Lobov fears nobody and will keep pressing forward, which has a draining effect on his opponents. He also has good cardio that can enable him to steal a fight in the later rounds by utilizing that pressure and enticing his opponents to get into phone booth-style fights.

Regardless of the outcome, this is going to be a heated fight with plenty of eyes on it as a potential boxing match with Conor McGregor could be in the future for Malignaggi if he puts on an impressive performance. Meanwhile, Lobov is fighting for his friends and pride, which are great motivators.

Prediction: Paulie Malignaggi (-220) via decision.

BKFC 6: Paulie Malignaggi vs Artem Lobov Betting Odds
FighterOdds
Paulie Malignaggi-220
Artem Lobov+18

Odds as of June 22 at Sportsbook

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