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Paulie Malignaggi offers Conor McGregor “winner takes all” showdown


Paulie Malignaggi is still hugely keen on a match-up with Conor McGregor [0-1(1)] next year.

The retired two-weight world champion was embroiled in a feud with the Irishman over sparring in the lead-up to McGregor’s fight with Floyd Mayweather on Saturday just gone.

Malignaggi [36(7)-8(5)] left the McGregor camp after just two spars citing the publication of unflattering and, he claimed, misleading photos from the pair’s sessions together in Las Vegas.

Photos posted on social media from members of the McGregor camp showed the New Yorker shipping shots, before the relationship-ending photo of Malignaggi on the canvas.

The Brooklyn boxer claimed the incriminating photo was the result of a pushdown, while McGregor would state that he dominated the session. UFC President Dana White released footage afterwards, but it would prove inconclusive

As the fight with Mayweather neared, Malignaggi and ‘Money May’ seemed to suggest that he went into the McGregor camp with the intention of ‘spying.’

‘The Magic Man’ was part of the Showtime broadcast team for the fight with Mayweather in which 29 year old McGregor was stopped standing by his 40 year old opponent in the tenth.

Malignaggi had proposed a fight with McGregor in New York on St Patrick’s Day should the Dubliner perform well enough against Mayweather – and the general consensus following the fight at the T-Mobile Arena was that ‘The Notorious’ exceeded expectations.

Malignaggi returned to Ariel Helwani’s MMA Hour this week and confirmed that he is still keen on fighting McGregor – and even went as far as to suggest that he would fight the Crumlin man in a winner-takes-all battle.

“I’m all about it, man.” claimed Malignaggi.

“I tell you, I’ll make it winner takes all. I’m willing to risk fighting him for free just to punch him in the mouth again and again and again. That’s how confident I am they can’t beat me.”

“I would make it winner takes all just for the pleasure of sinking my fist back into his teeth again. That’s how confident I am.”

“I think the fans want it and I think its a very sellable fight.”

36 year old Malignaggi retired following his eighth round stoppage loss to Birmingham’s Sam Eggington in March, but the potential of a lucrative grudge match now has him keen to return.

Listen to Paulie Malignaggi on The MMA Hour in full below:

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Joe O'Neill

Reporting on Irish boxing the past five years. Work has appeared on irish-boxing.com, Boxing News, the42.ie, and local and national media. Provide live ringside updates, occasional interviews, and special features on the future of Irish boxing. email: joneill6@tcd.ie

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