Ex-boxing world champ Paulie Malignaggi has promised to “hospitalize” hated rival and former sparring partner Conor McGregor and send him home “broke”, challenging the Irish UFC star to a ‘winner takes all’ boxing match.
Italian-American Malignaggi, who held world titles in two weight classes in his heyday, just as did McGregor in the UFC, insists there is no other fight the Irish MMA star can make worth more money than with himself, and claims the 30-year-old’s career is “coming to an end”, challenging McGregor to a fight in which the winner would walk away with both purses.
“I think Conor knows his time is coming to an end. He has become the Pinata of combat sports, just like I predicted he would once he reached this level. He just wasn’t going to be able to hack it,” Malignaggi said, speaking exclusively on the ‘Off the Brawl’ podcast.
Malignaggi, who held the IBF and WBA belts at light welterweight and welterweight respectively, called on big time boxing promoters Al Haymon and Eddie Hearn to make the fight, calling out McGregor to fight a credible opponent instead of targeting smaller, lesser known fighters such as Tenshin Nasukawa, who was demolished by Floyd Mayweather Jr. in one round on New Year’s Eve.
“So I think now that [McGregor] realizes it’s happening – he’s trying all that he can to keep himself relevant as best he can – even going as far as calling out the Japanese featherweight Nasukawa.
“In boxing I’d be interested in it – I’d love to do a ‘winner takes all’ fight just so he can go for free but I don’t think he’d ever agree to that. I would love to fight Conor McGregor in a ‘winner takes all’ fight in a boxing match, I would absolutely love it because I would beat him to a pulp, I would hospitalise him and I’d make him go home broke too.”
The two fighters have recently resumed an online war of words, originally stemming from footage of a now-infamous sparring session which seemed to show McGregor knocking Malignaggi down and that the latter argues was a push.
The sparring was in preparation for McGregor’s boxing debut against ring legend Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Everyone is angling for a payday.
No chance Conor fights Paulie.
Ever.
