Malignaggi keen for McGregor fight

Alex Fisher

Malignaggi keen for McGregor fight image

Paulie Malignaggi is ready to give Conor McGregor a second chance in the boxing ring after revealing talks are underway for the former sparring partners to fight.

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Malignaggi, a two-weight world champion, retired earlier this year after defeat to Sam Eggington but he is ready to return if a bout with McGregor can be arranged.

The pair had a heated war of words ahead of McGregor's boxing debut against Floyd Mayweather Jr in August, Malignaggi having left the Irishman's camp in the build-up to the mega-fight in Las Vegas.

UFC star McGregor claimed to have knocked Malignaggi down during a practice session, however the American refuted those boasts.

After McGregor was beaten in the 10th round by Mayweather, Malignaggi began his quest to set up a meeting between the pair.

He was told to "join the queue" by McGregor, and it appears the American has done just that.

"I know [promoter] Al Haymon's talking to [UFC boss] Dana White. I know they're speaking, so if they want the fight they'll make it," he told FightHype.com.

"Once I spoke to Al and Team Haymon, and they told me they wanted to make this fight, I knew that the only way this fight doesn't happen is if [McGregor] has absolutely no balls."

McGregor has hinted his next move will be a return to the octagon rather than the ring, but Malignaggi says fighting him would be the better option.

"This fight will pay him more, this fight will get him more exposure. This fight is a bigger fight than anybody else he has," Malignaggi added.

"There's no more Mayweather fight. This fight is the biggest fight there is.

"So once they told me that, I knew the only way this doesn't happen is if this guy has absolutely no balls. Which wouldn't surprise me because he has no balls."

Alex Fisher