It’s absolutely no secret that the UFC misses its biggest star. UFC lightweight champion, “The Notorious” Conor McGregor hasn’t been inside the Octagon since his November 2016 victory over former champion Eddie Alvarez, but it appears that fans clamoring for the Irishman back in the cage might just have to wait a little longer.
McGregor, who battled boxing legend Floyd “Money” Mayweather in early September, losing via 10th round technical knockout, told reporters that he was going to enjoy his vacation first and then decide which path he would take moving forward. Whether that path involves defending his UFC lightweight title, taking on Nate Diaz in an epic third bout, or pursuing match against Khabib Nurmagomedov in Russia.
None of those options however included a bout with boxer Paulie Malignaggi.
No love lost between Paulie Malignaggi and Conor McGregor
The rift between McGregor and Malignaggi has been highly-publicized. The two came to odds when Malignaggi, who joined the McGregor training for the UFC star’s preparation for the Mayweather bout, stormed out of camp citing mistreatment and disrespect. Malignaggi wasn’t happy with the way McGregor’s team had been saying that he served an absolute beatdown on the retired boxing star during sparring.
McGregor’s team took to social media to share various photos of McGregor toying with Malignaggi, even posting a short clip of what seems like a knockdown that McGregor scored. Malignaggi, of course, maintains that it was all a lie and that in fact, he had been the one serving the beatdown.
Because of this, Malignaggi has been hounding McGregor, daring him to step back in the ring.
“I’m willing to risk fighting him for free just to punch him in the mouth again, again and again,” Malignaggi told Ariel Helwani in early September. “That’s how confident I am he can’t beat me. I’d make it winner take all just for the pleasure of putting my fist in his teeth again.”
“Conor gets stopped by me,” Malignaggi said. “If Conor doesn’t get stopped by me, I should get penalized at least a portion of my purse if I don’t stop this guy.”
Paulie Malignaggi says Al Haymon is negotiating with Dana White on a possible bout against McGregor
Malignaggi even went so far as to question McGregor’s heart.
“I think once you get the hang of it, once you get the hang of what Conor is doing, you start to break him. And as I’ve said from the start, this guy is not the bravest guy in the world. There’s a lot of punk in this guy. He’s a loud guy, he’s a brash guy. Honestly, in MMA he has the advantage most of the time, because he is talented. You have to give him that, he is talented. But a fighter is a fighter when faced with adversity. Not in round one, not when he’s talking at a press conference.”
Although McGregor has publicly challenged Malignaggi to a fight, in the Octagon and not in the boxing ring, there is no chance Malignaggi steps inside the cage. Instead, Malignaggi wants McGregor in the squared circle.
Malignaggi took to Twitter recently and basically confirmed that negotiations are indeed ongoing. The retired boxer said that it’s all up to McGregor.
“It happens if he wants it. I have spoken to my team, like Mayweather I am with Al Haymon. I know Haymon has reached out to Dana White.”
Would you guys like to see Conor McGregor vs Paulie Malignaggi in the boxing ring?
