Paulie Malignaggi calls for “winner takes all” fight with Conor McGregor
Paulie Malignaggi says a boxing fight between and Irish MMA star Conor McGregor is a “no brainier” and has called for a “winner takes all” clash with ‘The Notorious’.
Talk of the pair trading leather has resurfaced of late and picked up pace when the two weight UFC champion called out Japanese kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa – who Floyd Mayweather got $9 million for stopping in less than a round on New Year’s Eve.
Malignaggi denied suggestions that talks had begun between the pair, but now seems intent on fighting the Dubliner with whom he has history.
READ: Malignaggi denies talks with McGregor
In fact speaking to Off The Ball’s Off The Brawl the former European champion called out the former Crumlin amateur.
The pair share a grudge following their sparring sessions back in 2017 in the lead-up to McGregor’s mega-money bout versus boxing legend Floyd Mayweather in Las Vegas.
The Crumlin light middleweight claims he dropped Malignaggi [36(7)-8(5)], with pictures and then footage of the event being released by UFC boss Dana White. ‘The Magic Man’ has always stressed that the visit to the canvas was the result of a ‘pushdown’.
With a public falling out over the aforementioned, Malignaggi stresses the narrative is there to ensure he is the most lucrative fight for the biggest name in UFC whose next move looks uncertain.
Indeed, the New Yorker revealed there is promotional will to make the fight with McGregor [0-1(1)] happen.
“There’s no other fight he can make that he makes more money than he does fighting me – the problem is, he gets beaten by me. Why are you looking to fight Japanese featherweights for half the money than you would fighting me if you can beat me,” Malignaggi said on the Newstalk show.
“[Eddie] Hearn can easily put the fight together, [Al] Haymon can easily put the fight together, Showtime have said they’d be interested in it – I don’t think it’s a no-brainer at this point. I don’t think it’d any secret at this point – there’s money in the fight.
“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,” he added before predicting a bad beating for McGregor if the bout was made.
“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.”