NEW YORK, NY)—Former IBF and WBO Light Welterweight champion of the world Paul Malignaggi—fighting out of Brooklyn, NY—is set to fight Juan Diaz in a rematch where Diaz was awarded a controversial unanimous decision this past August. Malignaggi, who was has battled with some of the best fighters in the sport, including Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto, outpunched and out landed the hometown fighter Diaz, and yet was shown on the judge’s scorecards to have lost by a wide margin. “It was a disappointing loss because I trained long and hard for the fight, and although I knew going into it I was fighting Diaz in his hometown in front of local judges, I expected to be given a fair fight,” says Malignaggi. “In preparation for the upcoming fight I have been training twice as hard and plan on leaving everything in the ring.”
Rather than allowing his spirit to be broken by the loss, Malignaggi has made it a point to gain motivation from it in his training. “The first fight against Diaz made me realize that I have so much left to accomplish in boxing and so many goals that I will never reach with another loss on my record..”
This motivation shows in Malignaggi’s perseverant and disciplined training regimen. The former champion has been deliberate about getting this win against Diaz not just for himself, but also for his fans.
“My fans have been loyal since day one,” says Malignaggi. “Following the loss to Diaz I received much mail from fans offering support and urging me to lobby for a rematch. Come December 12 I am going to give them the show they deserve, and this win will be for them.”
A major difference between this upcoming fight and the previous fight in August is that it will take place on neutral soil in Illinois, something that should’ve been done for the first fight. The neutral site offers no bias to either fighter, and both fighters will be scored fairly, a key component that was missing from the first fight.
“It’s important for me to get out there December 12 and do what I do best, fight my fight,” says Malignaggi, who has been rated as one of the top boxers in the world. “This fight is a stepping stone for me; there are many big names out there that I’d like to compete with, and following this win, I will have my shot at them.”
The rematch between Malignaggi and Diaz will take place at the UNC Pavilion in Chicago on December 12 beginning at 10:15pm, and will be aired on HBO After Dark.