Rolando Dy will put his BKB super welterweight world title on the line against Paulie Malignaggi in Manchester, England, in a bare-knuckle matchup that doubles as the first defense of his championship. Dy said he expects the fight to end quickly if his plan works, pointing to a fourth-round knockout or TKO.

Dy, 34, won the belt on December 5, 2025, when he beat Liam Rees to become the first bare-knuckle boxing world champion from the Philippines. He has not fought since that night, but he now goes into the ring with a 5-1 bare-knuckle record and a 14-2 professional MMA mark.

Malignaggi brings a very different résumé. The 45-year-old is 36-8 as a professional boxer with seven knockouts, and he held world titles at junior welterweight and welterweight before moving into bare-knuckle boxing, where he is 1-1. His name gives the fight a wider draw, but it also gives Dy a veteran opponent with far more rounds in conventional championship boxing.

The matchup matters because it puts a first-time title defender from the Philippines against a former world champion whose career was built in the brighter lights of traditional boxing. Dy has the momentum of a landmark win and home-country significance behind him, but he is also coming off a long layoff and stepping straight into a higher-profile defense against one of the most recognizable names he has faced.

That is why Dy’s prediction matters as more than fight-week talk. He said, if his game plan unfolds the way he sees it, the bout will end in the fourth round by knockout or TKO. It is a precise call, and one that will either make him look prepared for the step up or leave him having to explain why the title defense turned into a much longer night than he expected.