Paulie Malignaggi Exposes Pacquiao For Ducking Him

Manny Pacquiao has been accused of ducking a former two-weight world champion.

Paulie Malignaggi went on The Ariel Helwani Show and said the 47-year-old Filipino icon is actively avoiding a fight with him.

“Pacquiao comes back and he’s looking to fight anybody but me right now,” Malignaggi said.

“This guy’s 100 years old. He’s looking to fight anybody but me. Now he’s fighting a guy 20 pounds smaller than him just so he can fight.”

Pacquiao has not fought since July 2025, when he secured a draw with WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios.

Before that, he had been out of the ring since August 2021, when he lost a WBA welterweight bout to Yordenis Ugás.

Pacquiao is a veteran of 73 professional fights with eight losses on his record.

He is a former eight-weight world champion who has struggled to leave the sport behind.

Throughout 2026, Pacquiao has been searching for his next opponent.

He was linked to a fight with Shakur Stevenson, then Paddy Donovan, and later Joe Cordina.

Cordina, a two-time IBF super-featherweight world champion, was rumored to face Pacquiao on the undercard of Anthony Joshua versus Tyson Fury in December.

That undercard spot has now been confirmed as not happening.

Malignaggi, a former two-division world champion, says he put his name forward and has stayed active in the ring.

“I put my name out there. I’ve been active. He doesn’t even mention my name,” Malignaggi said.

“He knows what I said about him, and he knows I’m right. They don’t want that spewed out in that promotion, so they don’t bring it up.”

Malignaggi is set to fight former WBC welterweight champion Victor Ortiz in a bare-knuckle bout on Saturday, December 5.

That fight is part of BKB 62, a Bare Knuckle Boxing event.

Pacquiao, meanwhile, is 47 years old and will turn 48 in mid-December.

If he does return to the ring, it is now most likely to happen in 2027.

The accusation of ducking is a serious charge in boxing, where matchups are often driven by money, timing, and risk.

Malignaggi believes Pacquiao’s team is deliberately avoiding a fight that would bring up past tensions between the two men.

Neither Pacquiao nor his representatives have publicly responded to Malignaggi’s comments as of this report.

The backstory between the two fighters includes a history of verbal sparring, though they have never fought in a professional bout.

Malignaggi retired from traditional boxing in 2019 but has continued fighting in bare-knuckle events.

Pacquiao’s recent draw with Barrios came after a four-year layoff from the sport.

Barrios is a younger, active champion who holds the WBC welterweight title.

The draw was seen by many as a respectable result for a fighter of Pacquiao’s age and time away.

But Malignaggi argues that if Pacquiao is serious about competing, he should be willing to face all comers.

“Now he’s fighting a guy 20 pounds smaller than him just so that he can fight,” Malignaggi said.

That comment appears to refer to reports that Pacquiao was considering opponents at lower weight classes.

Boxing weight classes are strictly regulated, with welterweight capped at 147 pounds and super-featherweight at 130 pounds.

A 20-pound difference would mean a fighter moving down multiple divisions, which is unusual for a veteran of Pacquiao’s size.

Malignaggi fought primarily at welterweight and light welterweight during his career.

He won world titles at light welterweight and welterweight.

Pacquiao has won world titles in eight different weight classes, from flyweight to light middleweight.