Victor Ortiz has a new opponent for December 5, and the surname will be familiar to boxing fans. Robert “El Gorila” Duran Jr., son of Roberto “Hands of Stone” Duran, is stepping in for Paulie Malignaggi in the main event of BKB 62 at The Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles.
BKB announced that Malignaggi will no longer compete for personal reasons. No further explanation was included in the announcement. The change removes a meeting between two former boxing world champions and gives Duran Jr. a headline opportunity against the former WBC welterweight champion.
Duran Jr. carries his father’s name, but he isn’t arriving without a bare-knuckle resume. The Miami fighter holds a 4-2 BKB record, with every victory coming by knockout or technical knockout. His six appearances give him considerably more experience in the format than Ortiz, whose bare-knuckle record stands at 1-0.
Robert Duran Jr. Replaces Paulie Malignaggi Against Victor Ortiz at BKB 62
His introduction came in 2024, when he stopped Javon “Wolfman” Wright in the third round. He subsequently beat Joshua Sikes, lost a split decision to Serob Minasyan and suffered a third-round stoppage against Rolando Dy. Wins over Austin Spivey and Ryan Spivey followed, putting him on a two-fight winning streak heading into December.
The latest victory came at BKB 58 in Miami on August 29, when Duran Jr. stopped Ryan Spivey at 1:49 of the opening round. There is context behind that quick finish: Spivey struggled with a leg injury, attempted to continue and could not get up after a second knockdown. Before switching formats, Duran Jr. compiled a 13-4 professional boxing record with 10 knockouts, according to BKB‘s replacement announcement.
Now he gets an opponent whose career included fights against Floyd Mayweather Jr., Marcos Maidana and Robert Guerrero. Ortiz won his WBC welterweight title by beating Andre Berto in April 2011.
Ortiz made his BKB debut in Los Angeles on July 18, beating Dominic Salcido by unanimous decision at BKB 56. He scored a knockdown, but also finished with swelling around his left eye, getting an introduction to the damage that can accompany fighting without gloves. Duran Jr. acknowledged Ortiz’s background in the announcement, while making his intentions clear. “Victor Ortiz is a legend in boxing, a former world champion who has shared the ring with some of the best in the sport,” he said.
“I have a tremendous amount of respect for what he has accomplished, but once that bell rings, it’s all business.” BKB 62 remains scheduled for Saturday, December 5, 2026, at The Orpheum Theatre.
