PAULIE MALIGNAGGI branded Conor McGregor a ‘bum’ who ‘can’t fight for s***’ as their war-of-words dragged on earlier this summer.
The two have been feuding ever since they sparred in July 2017 as McGregor prepared to face Floyd Mayweather in a money-spinning crossover bout, which he lost in round 10.
Paulie Malignaggi called Conor McGregor a ‘bum’ who ‘can’t fight for s***’
After footage of the sparring was leaked online – including a disputed knockdown of Malignaggi – the former two-time champion stormed out of the Irishman’s camp and has taken every opportunity to publicly blast him since.
And in an Instagram Q&A with boxing manager Sam Jones, Malignaggi, now a respected pundit and commentator, insisted The Notorious should not be given credit for beating 36-year-old Donald Cerrone in 40 seconds last January.
He said: “I get a kick out of irking him, the guy’s a bum. The guy can’t fight for s***. They had to find him a half-dead guy in MMA to win a fight.
“This guys gets his a** kicked by everybody, I’m not even trying to abuse him. This guy gets his a** kicked every time he fights, abuses the s*** out of him.
“Donald Cerrone gave some good battles in his day but he had one foot out the door already.”
Malignaggi has urged McGregor, 32, to release the full footage of their two spars, which were over eight and then 12 rounds, but his calls have been ignored.
McGregor and Malignaggi had two sparring sessions in Las Vegas in 2017Credit: Refer to Caption
Malignaggi stormed out of McGregor’s camp after leaked images and footage of the spar surfacedCredit: Refer to Caption
Malignaggi insisted he was pushed down after McGregor claimed to have dropped the boxer
The 40-year-old wanted to box the Irishman to settle the score, but instead faced Artem Lobov – a friend and training partner of McGregor’s – in a bare-knuckle fight, losing on points while also breaking his hand.
Meanwhile the Irishman is returning to the cage at UFC 257 next year for a clash with Dustin Poirier.
Malignaggi, who was four months retired when he sparred McGregor, insisted he ‘beat the s***’ out of the former two-weight UFC champion, and still maintains he was pushed down during their infamous spar, not floored.
He said: “People say to me, ‘You’re embarrassed he knocked you down’ but he didn’t knock s*** down. He didn’t embarrass me.
“People wish so badly they could see the full video and be right, but you’re never going to get the full video.
“I beat the s*** of of your man, he’s a bum! This is classic combat sports promoting.”
Before McGregor’s octagon comeback, he announced plans to once again box, and named Malignaggi as a possible opponent when telling ESPN he will win a world title in boxing.
He revealed: “I’d like to box Paulie as well.
“I already knocked him out but that’s a bit of buzz as well.
“Paulie and a boxing bout. I want to box again and I will box again. I will get a boxing world title.”
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Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
