The only way to be sure if Conor McGregor did, in fact, put Paulie Malignaggi on his ass while sparing in training camp is to trot “Notorious” out to the boxing ring and ask him to do it again.
Paulie Malignaggi has hit his peak popularity after retirement in large part because the man sure knows how to keep himself in the mix.
It appears Malignaggi is currently negotiating with UFC President Dana White, who was instrumental in pitting his lightweight championship against undefeated pugilist Floyd Mayweather Jr. last August.
It didn’t end so well for “Notorious,” thanks to a tenth-round knockout, but he has 30 million reasons to feel good about himself.
In a recent clip from fighthype.com, we see the retired boxer, tell us how he really feels about getting into the ring with the “Notorious.” In addition to the trash talk, Malignaggi confirms that talks are underway between their representatives.
“I know Al Haymon’s talking with Dana White, I know they’re speaking so if they want the fight they’ll make it,” Malignaggi told Fight Hype (via Bad Left Hook). “This fight would pay him more, this fight would get him more exposure, this fight is a bigger fight than anything else he has. Even if it’s not the next fight, even if it’s an MMA fight in his next fight, there’s no way he should be walking away from this fight unless he has no balls.”
Or if he decides to actually defend his lightweight title.
Malignaggi, a former IBF junior welterweight champion, was hired to help McGregor prepare for his “Money” fight, though it’s unknown if he was really a mole, as this pre-fight video would suggest.
Either way, the beef lives on, though it appears to be a one-way street.
