It emerged last week that Paulie Malignaggi quit his position as Conor McGregor’s sparring partner after feeling “exploited” by the UFC Champion’s camp. Speaking to MMA Hour, Malignaggi said of McGregor “The guy is all about his ego. He’s actually not trying to get better”.
Upset about training camp pictures being made public, specifically one showing him down on the canvas during one of two spars with McGregor, Malignaggi retired soon after in March this year. According to Malignaggi, he asked McGregor not to release any pictures of the pair’s sparring. Something McGregor refused.
Malignaggi, who was concerned about sparring for 12 rounds, claims McGregor turned his back on him and walked towards the showers whilst laughing and saying “I don’t know Paulie, we got some good ones in those last two rounds”.
“I started to take it to him after that. I started to hit him with more body shots. I said, ‘take those, they don’t feel good’. I could hear him whimper off the body shots too”. Five-weight world champion, Floyd Mayweather, is coming out of retirement to face UFC Lightweight title holder McGregor in a high profile fight in Las Vegas on 26th August.
