Paulie Malignaggi Blasts NHS for Career-Threatening Injuries Suffered in Last BKB Fight

Former WBA welterweight champion bashes UK health system for mistreating him after BKB 47 brawl with Tyler Goodjohn

Aug 30, 2012; Brooklyn, NY, USA; WBA welterweight champion Paulie Malignaggi speaks at the press conference at New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge. The press conference announced the upcoming October 20th card at the Barclay's Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images | Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images

Despite beating Tyler Goodjohn at BKB 47 to collect the first bare-knuckle win of his career, Paulie Malignaggi describes Oct. 18, 2025, as one of the most frustrating nights of his life.

Malignaggi accomplished everything he set out to accomplish in the ring to improve to 1-1 in his bare-knuckle career, but he aired his irritation with how he was treated after the fight. The 45-year-old revealed he suffered a few lasting injuries from the bout, which he blames on the "absolute animals" working at the NHS in the United Kingdom, where the fight occurred.

"The cuts [I suffered] would have been just a regular stitch job in a regular hospital in the United States," Malignaggi said on The Ariel Helwani Show. "But they have people in the UK that work in the NHS that in America, probably wouldn't even be allowed to work on farm animals. They let them work on human beings in these hospitals. I was in that hospital all night.

"My wounds were not cleaned. Basically, what I'm getting at is the complications from one of the cuts [on my left eyebrow] has been constantly infected and pussing out up until a few weeks ago. It is closed at the moment — I expect it to open up in the fight, but I expect cuts to open up in a bare-knuckle fight. This is due to the animals that they have working at the NHS. Absolute inept animals, who were keeping me in the waiting room, not cleaning the blood dripping down my face. I'm hearing them gossiping in the other room — the hospital is almost completely empty."

Paulie Malignaggi reveals the cuts from his last bare-knuckle fight led to serious health complications:

“They have people in the UK who work in the NHS that, in America, probably wouldn’t even be allowed to work on farm animals, and they let them work on human beings in these… pic.twitter.com/eYApAFHwwX

— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) May 6, 2026

Malignaggi also revealed that he suffered temporary vision loss due to an eye poke during the fight. He claims that his eyesight is "pretty close" to 100 percent back.

Paulie Malignaggi fighting for BKB 155-pound title

Despite the injuries, Malignaggi is set to challenge BKB super welterweight champion Rolando Dy in the main event of BKB 54. The fight gives Malignaggi an opportunity to win his first world championship since 2012, when he beat Vyacheslav Senchenko to win the WBA welterweight belt.

Dec 7, 2013; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Paulie Malignaggi (black trunks) celebrates after defeating Zab Judah (not pictured) during their NABF Welterweight Title bout at Barclays Center. Malignaggi won via unanimous decision. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images | Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

While Malignaggi is the more experienced combat athlete, bringing 44 professional boxing bouts to the table, Dy's bare-knuckle record is more robust. The Dy, the son of former WBC super featherweight champion Rolando Navarette, owns a 5-1 bare-knuckle record.

Malignaggi will be Dy's first opponent since he won the belt with a unanimous decision nod over Liam Rees at BKB 49. A win over Malignaggi would give Dy his second victory over a known professional boxer in the BKB. Dy was awarded a title shot after his third-round TKO win over Roberto Duran Jr. in May 2025.