THE INFAMOUS sparring sessions between Conor McGregor and Paulie Malignaggi failed to end their rivalry – instead only fuelling it more.
It began in December 2016, when Malignaggi insulted McGregor’s chances of beating Floyd Mayweather in a boxing match, as rumours of the UFC star crossing over to boxing increased.
Conor McGregor and Paulie Malignaggi have been embroiled in a feud since an infamous sparring session in 2017
McGregor used Malignaggi as a sparring partner before he fought Floyd Mayweather
When The Notorious was signed to face Mayweather he challenged Malignaggi – who was four months retired at the time – to come into his Las Vegas training camp to spar.
They sparred twice, first over eight rounds and then 12 – but a disputed knockdown of Malignaggi in footage subsequently released caused the American to storm away from the Irishman’s team.
Since then the pair have continued to recall different accounts of what happened in their sparring sessions and have been engaged in a high profile war of words.
But here, SunSport gives the views of those who were at the UFC Performance Institute to try and find out what really happened.
CONOR McGREGOR
After McGregor’s open workout ahead of his boxing debut against Mayweather, the Malignaggi feud dominated the headlines.
And when asked about the sessions, McGregor pulled no punches, as he said: “The spars were not good for him. He took a lot of head trauma. Straight after it, we were worried.
“He was knocked down, he was flattened against the ropes. Multiple times the ropes kept him on his feet.
“We were worried about him. We thought the worst was about to happen. He was certainly badly concussed. And then he just got out and went running.
“He showed up, he tried his best. It didn’t go his way. He got his ass whupped, he got his pride dented and then he wanted a way out.”
Conor McGregor maintains Malignaggi was decisively beaten during their spars
PAULIE MALIGNAGGI
In an interview with boxing manager Sam Jones this month, the two-time world champion insists he got the better of McGregor, and still denies that he was knocked down.
He maintains he ended up on the canvas after a push.
Malignaggi 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*** out of your man, he’s a bum! This is classic combat sports promoting.”
Malignaggi has called for the full sparring session to be released, but has so far been ignored, with only select footage and pictures available online.
Malignaggi maintains he ended up on the canvas because of a push
JOE CORTEZ, REFEREE
As McGregor prepared to trade the octagon for the the ring, he employed legendary ref Cortez to oversee his sparring sessions – including against Malignaggi.
And the official sat on the fence when asked about the spars, as he told Helen Yee: “I can tell you that I was there for twelve rounds with them and there was a lot going on.
“A lot of boxing fans and MMA fans want to know and I can tell you from being there that the fight should happen.
“It was very competitive. That is what I am saying. I know for a fact that it would make a good fight.
“It would be a better fight than McGregor vs. Mayweather! They should put Malignaggi and McGregor together.
“I think that would be a great fight and that the fans would buy that.”
Joe Cortez refereed the sparring sessions between McGregor and Malignaggi
DANA WHITE, UFC PRESIDENT
McGregor’s UFC boss White was invited to watch his star fighter spar Malignaggi.
And in an interview with Sky Sports, the promoter revealed: “I was there for all 12 rounds – and Paulie has said some crazy things, some bad things about me – I felt sorry for the guy.
“It was a one-way beating and a lot of people are saying Conor couldn’t box, Paulie was obviously lying about everything he said about the sparring match so I released it.
“It was very one-sided, it was an absolute beating, and guess what? I think it was the right thing for Paulie Malignaggi to definitely leave, for his health’s sake.”
UFC president Dana White, far left, says Malignaggi was dominated in the spars
ARTEM LOBOV, McGREGOR’S TRAINING PARTNER
UFC veteran Lobov went on to beat Malignaggi in a bare-knuckle bout, but revealed he was given massive confidence heading into the grudge match after witnessing the spars.
Lobov told SunSport last year: “I watched him spar and honest to God he has nothing but a jab.
“His jab used to be good, he had the speed, but everybody knows with age speed is the first thing to go.
“Honestly the punch bag was giving Conor more trouble, he wasn’t throwing anything.
“He tried to move with the jab, he was terrified to let the right hand go because of the counters.
“He honestly offered nothing – Conor was playing with him, talking to him and that’s it. He did nothing, he didn’t land one single solid shot.”
Artem Lobov, bottom left, witnessed the spars and beat Malignaggi in a bare-knuckle bout
JOHN KAVANAGH, McGREGOR’S COACH
McGregor’s head trainer Kavanagh gave a more balanced account of the sparring sessions he witnessed before cornering his first boxing match, but gave Malignaggi credit having come into the spars as an inactive fighter.
Kavanagh said on Joe Rogan’s podcast: “Paulie landed his shots as well. He’s a brilliant boxer. For me as a trainer, it was amazing looking at him.
“Obviously he’s put on a little bit of weight and he was still able to go 12 rounds.
“After about round four I was saying ‘He’s not going to continue,’ he was breathing very heavy and he’d been hit hard and sat down once – whether you believe that was a push or a punch – but a lot of heavy shots.
“I was thinking he’s gonna be out of here in six. We had another sparring partner ready, and I said, ‘OK, just be ready to go because I think this will go about six rounds’.
“Paulie then just hit this rhythm and stared landing his own shots and it turned out to be a great contest.
“And I’ll say contest because it wasn’t a spar, they were talking the whole time.
“They were talking the whole time, Paulie was talking to me, he was talking to the cameraman, he was almost better than Conor at it, it was great to watch.”
Trainer John Kavanagh, bottom left, said the spars were even
SAM JONES, BOXING MANAGER
Malignaggi travelled to the sparring sessions alone, without a coach, and was unable to have any of his own recordings of the spars.
But Joe Joyce’s manager Jones revealed he had an insider who insisted Malignaggi easily dealt with ring novice McGregor.
He said: “Listen, I spoke to – and I’m not going to say who he was because he’s a no-name in boxing – but he was there.
“(McGregor) didn’t knock him over. Paulie, you was out of shape, arrived there, and was just playing with him.”
Conor McGregor reveals sparring partner Paulie Malignaggi quit because he was ‘flattened’
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
