Paulie Malignaggi probably won’t root for Conor McGregor on Aug. 26.
The UFC superstar’s former sparring partner blasted him Monday during an appearance on “The MMA Hour,” telling host Ariel Helwani about their recent fall-out. Malignaggi, a retired boxer, was helping McGregor train for his upcoming match against Floyd Mayweather before souring on McGregor.
Malignaggi claims McGregor treated him poorly, from substandard accommodations in Las Vegas to leaking misleading photos of their two sparring sessions online.
“This guy is one of the biggest dirtbags I’ve ever met in my life — bar none,” Malignaggi said. “I was amazed at what a dirtbag this person is. I don’t care if we never speak again. My life is fine if I never see Conor McGregor again.
“I was dumbfounded by the way things were. It’s just about status with him. It makes me doubt if he ever really went through a tough time in his life like they try to say he did. If somebody went through that tough a time in life just a few years ago, they wouldn’t treat people who were not as fortunate as him that bad.”
Malignaggi’s barbs against McGregor echo some of the things he told WNYW on Saturday night and had been saying on Twitter recently. But he sets out to tell the full side of his version of the story on “The MMA Hour.” You can hear him recount his experiences McGregor in the video below (warning: the interview contains explicit language.).
Thumbnail photo via Steve Flynn/USA TODAY Sports Images
