Malignaggi: I’d beat McGregor with one hand tied behind my back

Conor McGregor is a UFC superstar and a big pay-per-view attraction in fight sports, and of course there’s been a lot of idle chatter about him potentially boxing Floyd Mayweather.

But one of the chief critics of that idea is Paulie Malignaggi, a former junior welterweight and welterweight boxing champion, known for two things: (1) having a fine career despite hand injuries that sapped all of his power, and (2) saying what he wants, how he wants, when he wants.

Malignaggi wants folks to know he could beat McGregor in a boxing match with one hand tied behind his back:

Knowing Paulie as we’ve come to know him over the years, his comments about potentially fighting McGregor himself are no surprise. But that doesn’t mean they should just be dismissed, either.

One of my routine stances on the Mayweather-McGregor idea isn’t just that Floyd Mayweather would rout McGregor in a boxing match, but that a lot of pro boxers would embarrass McGregor, and that includes Malignaggi, a fine technician who has been boxing for a long time and knows his way around the ring.

It’s not meant as disrespect to McGregor, a tremendous fighter and a genuine star. It’s just that he’s not a professional boxer.

What do you say? Would Malignaggi embarrass McGregor, or would Conor do better than I think?