Conor McGregor is an ‘irrelevant bum who sold himself to suckers’, insists former sparring partner Paulie Malignaggi
The pair haven't seen eye-to-eye since footage emerged of Malignaggi appearing to be knocked down by McGregor
CONOR MCGREGOR is an "irrelevant bum who sold himself to suckers", according to his fuming ex-sparring partner Paulie Malignaggi.
The American, 37, has rubbished talk the UFC ace wants to fight him - insisting there is only one outcome if they ever got in the ring for real.
The pair clashed after social media images and footage were leaked online last year suggesting the Brooklyn boxer was knocked down by the Irish MMA superstar.
Malignaggi furiously quit the training camp as a result and unsurprisingly McGregor and him haven't seen eye-to-eye since.
And Malignaggi, an ambassador for new boxing format Ultimate Boxxer, has taken another opportunity to ridicule the 30-year-old - who he says is living off a piece of fabricated training footage.
He told SunSport: “Conor doesn’t want to fight me. If he wanted to do anything first and foremost he would have shown the right footage.
“Why do you have to change the angle of the footage at the last minute? By doing that you eliminate the fact it’s a slip, fall or anything else.
“He still goes on about it now, but the fact is him and his team have nothing – they have to keep selling this story because they have nothing in reality.
“He’s a irrelevant bum who sold himself to suckers. He markets himself really well and people have been stupid and fallen for it."
He continued: “You have a guy (Malignaggi) who is out of shape and at 24 hours notice still gets in the ring and goes 12 rounds with you.
“I’d say it was a good sparring session, not a bad workout.
"How do you let a guy come off the couch who is out of shape and not done a thing in months and do 12 rounds with you – three months before fighting Floyd Mayweather?
“Do you think he doesn’t know what would happen if he actually fought him? Come on, this is all talk.
“It’s the only positive thing he has from the last two or three years of his career - he’s combat sports biggest bum."
Malignaggi, who won 36 of his 44 bouts during his professional career, believes there is no way back for the outspoken McGregor - insisting he'd get "beat up again" whoever he fought - just like he did against Khabib Nurmagomedov.
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He explained: “Who’s he going to fight if he comes back? He’ll just beat up again.
“He won what two rounds against Nate Diaz and was battered by Khabib.
“Even at MMA, Diaz would beat him again. He can’t fight Khabib again – he’ll get wrecked.
“The same would happen against me – he knows that.
“Even if I got in half-shape I’d stop him – that’s what I do."
McGregor's last victory came against Eddie Alvarez two years ago, and Malignaggi can't get his head around the fact his foe remains relevant.
He concluded: “This whole thing has got way too much attention and fanfare.
“He’s playing everybody for suckers. He knows when push comes to shove it’s an ass whipping from left right and centre.
“If you don’t win in boxing for two or three years you’re completely irrelevant.
“Why's it different when it comes to MMA and this guy?
“It’s not like he’s losing and being competitive. He’s getting wrecked.
“Diaz beat him on 10 days notice a couple of years ago – it’s embarrassing, come on. Just retire."
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