Malignaggi: ‘I would beat Conor’s ass like he stole something’

The fallout of Paulie Malignaggi leaving Conor McGregor’s training camp has continued, with Malignaggi speaking to TMZ about leaving the team, and about potentially even fighting McGregor himself down the line.

On camp:

“I could see that even in the half-shape I was in, I was starting to get the better of him by Tuesday. And the training camp would’ve only gotten worse. He knew better than to keep me around, I’ll put it that way.”

And here’s what he said about potentially facing Conor McGregor in a real boxing match:

“I would beat his ass like he stole something, you got me? I would beat his ass like he stole something. And he knows it. More important than me knowing it, he knows it. That’s the best part.”

Malignaggi (36-8, 7 KO) is a former champion at 140 and 147 pounds, and announced his retirement from active competition in March of this year, following a loss to Sam Eggington in London. At 37, he’s well past his best days, but it’s hard to stress how much it matters that Malignaggi has been a professional boxer for the last 16 years, while McGregor, you know, hasn’t.

Of course, McGregor has bigger fish to fry, as he’s preparing for his August 26 fight with Floyd Mayweather. One expects that if he does fight on after that, it will be back in UFC, but you never know. I mean, Mayweather-McGregor is a real thing that’s happening, would McGregor-Malignaggi really shock you at this point?