feature-image

USA Today via Reuters

feature-image

USA Today via Reuters

Conor McGregor and Paulie Malignaggi‘s terms fail to display signs of rapprochement. The ghosts of the sparring session, now nearly six years old, perhaps, continue to haunt the former champion. At least his frequent ripostes on the Irishman appear to hint likewise. In the latest rant, Malignaggi reveals the level of boxing McGregor wields. He says it’s so pathetically poor that even those from the crossover genre might give him a good thrashing.

Watch What’s Trending Now!

With thirty-six wins and eight losses, Paulie Malignaggi hung his gloves for good in March 2017. That year Floyd Mayweather Jr. also met then-UFC Lightweight champion Conor McGregor on August 26, 2017. Before the fight took place, Malignaggi joined the McGregor camp. But their sparring session led to bitter acrimony. Malignaggi’s fall while sparring became hugely contentious.

ADVERTISEMENT

Conor McGregor as a boxer; according to bête noire Paulie Malignaggi

Still contesting the boxing skills of ‘The Notorious,’ Paulie Malignaggi told ‘Lord Ping,’ “Conor McGregor’s boxing skills are so brutal that I think even a YouTube boxer like AnEsonGib would beat Conor McGregor in a boxing ring.” He revealed support for Gib during his pro bout against fellow YouTuber Austin McBroom. ‘The Magic Man’ believes the former stays put, pressuring the opponent. “At this point, I think he’d even beat up Conor McGregor in a boxing ring.” He concluded.

But, reportedly, Paulie Malignaggi believes that Conor McGregor would risk partaking in a bout against someone like Mayweather Jr. or Khabib Nurmagomedov. A loss to a lesser-known name is tantamount to him losing the goodwill and legacy. Calling the former UFC champion a ‘real-life WWE wrestling character,’ Malignaggi said he resembles a wrestler whose fortune changes hands weekly. But despite the reversals, fans hardly care and root for him.

ADVERTISEMENT

He has always claimed that the fall resulted from a push and was nowhere near a knockdown. Insisting on the full video of the session being made available, the issue remains a topic of debate among fans, with both sides sticking to their versions. Last month, Malignaggi’s tweet on Mayweather Jr. and Khabib Nurmagomedov, two men who defeated McGregor, sparked a slew of reactions.

Read More: Former Training Partner for Floyd Mayweather Fight Reveals Conor McGregor “Apologized” to Stephen Espinoza Just to Get Tickets to Garcia vs. Davis

Do you agree with Malignaggi’s observations? Please do share your thoughts and views with us in the comments below.

Watch This Story: “Made my plans for revenge”: 25-year-old NFL star takes a page from Conor McGregor’s book and flexes His hard-earned muscles

ADVERTISEMENT

Share this with a friend:

Link Copied!

ADVERTISEMENT

Written by

author-image

Jaideep R Unnithan

3,758 Articles

Jaideep R. Unnithan is a Senior Boxing Writer at EssentiallySports and one of the division’s most trusted voices. Since joining in October 2022, he has brought a deep love for the sport into every story, whether reporting on live bouts with the ES LiveEvent Desk or unpacking the legacy of fighters from different eras as part of the features desk. Trained under EssentiallySports’ prestigious Journalistic Excellence Program, which is a specialized training initiative designed to refine top writers' skills through mentorship and advanced sports journalism techniques, Jaideep’s writing reflects a quiet authority shaped by two years of covering boxing’s flashpoints and fault lines. He is drawn to the warrior code of legends like Alexis Argüello and Marvin Hagler, while also staying attuned to the promise of rising stars like Jesse 'Bam' Rodriguez, David Benavidez, and Dmitry Bivol. Jaideep has a special fascination with Naoya Inoue’s old-school grit. Beyond writing, he reads widely, a habit that sharpens his storytelling, whether he’s tracing the rhythm of a classic fight or preparing his next ringside dispatch. Before joining EssentiallySports, Jaideep worked as a client manager and team manager in corporate roles, bringing strong organizational and communication skills to his journalistic career. He has also completed notable certifications, including a Non-Fiction Book Writing Workshop.

Know more

Edited by

editor-image

Snigdhaa Jaiswal

ADVERTISEMENT