Conor McGregor practises stare-downs and walk-ons ahead of his fight against Floyd Mayweather, says former sparring partner Paulie Malignaggi
CONOR MCGREGOR practises stare-downs and walk-ons during his training camp ahead of his Las Vegas mega-fight against Floyd Mayweather.
That's according to former sparring partner Paulie Malignaggi, who has revealed all since he quit the camp after a very public disagreement.
Malignaggi, who is a former two-time world boxing champ, was upset that photos were released on social media showing him on the canvas, feeling he had been "set up".
He denied that he had been knocked down by the Irish UFC legend, instead saying that it was a push.
And now he has revealed the weird and wonderful things that go on in "Camp McGregor".
He said: "The sparring partners at the house told me they have a referee for every sparring session because he wants the proper boxing rules.
"Joe Cortez is a hall-of-fame referee and has refereed a lot of big fights, I cannot knock him for that and getting the feel for it.
"Then they told me he does everything like a fight night. He does whole introductions and stare-downs.
"That’s when I started thinking ‘what a j**k-off ego maniac’. That was the first time in my mind I thought that.
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"When I heard he wanted stare-downs for sparring I thought he was an ego maniac j**k-off. I didn’t get ticked off. That’s what he wants with everyone.
"The referee calls you together and introduces you and makes you stare-down.
"He gives you the Conor McGregor stare-down like it’s a fight but I just could not get into it.
"In my whole career my stare-down was always the same; jump up and down and grill you.
"I got to the stare-down and I didn’t do regular one. I just had a smirk."
SunSport has reported how Malignaggi, 36, had a different version of events to those spread by McGregor's camp after sparring with him and being unimpressed with the set-up.
And he did not hold back as he blasted the Irishman’s entourage ahead of his fight with Floyd Mayweather on August 26.
Malignaggi told the : “It’s about ego, and I’m not an ass-kisser like the guys around him. It’s all about status.
“He’s a scumbag. It’s all about who kisses his ass better. I get to the gym the next day and he has all sorts of dignitaries there: [former UFC CEO] Lorenzo Fertita, [UFC president] Dana White, and his agent.