FORMER PRO BOXER Paulie Malignaggi has quit Conor McGregor’s training camp ahead of the Dubliner’s bout with Floyd Mayweather on 26 August.
The former WBA welterweight champion was twice used by McGregor as a sparring partner when photos were leaked showing the latter in a favourable light.
Malignaggi, who described the sessions as having “a lot of violence,” was pictured lying on the canvas in one photo. McGregor is landing a left hook in another. Malignaggi says the knockdown was really a “pushdown.”
Malignaggi announced his decision to step away in an Instagram post.
“I just wanted to clear the air,” he said. “I am leaving the McGregor training camp today. I came with best intentions & intended to help out. Just the chance to be part of such a big event in this capacity excited me.
“I believe Conor & I have a mutual respect inside the ring, earned from each other with some good work over 2 sparring sessions. It’s some of the stuff outside the ring and some ways some things were handled in training camp that I didn’t agree with that made me come to this decision.
” It’s not my place to dictate terms in a training camp that is not mine, but it’s my place to decide if I I want to be a part of it. I will not give away anything tactical that I saw in 2 sparring sessions with Conor. For what it’s worth, they have my word.
“The things that upset me though I will speak about in time. I wish team McGregor well in the rest of their preparations and look forward to being back in Vegas to work fight week on Showtime.”
Malignaggi, former two-weight world champion, told ESPN on Thursday he didn’t “want to become the story, and that’s what this has turned into.”
“I won’t release any information about his game plan or what he’s working on, I wouldn’t do that,” he said. “But this has become a fiasco. It’s a circus.
“And I do want that sparring video released. The UFC’s PI definitely has that video. I understand it can’t come out now, but Conor, if you have any balls, release what really happened.”
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Something daycent to watch of a Wednesday evening. Mon the Cats.
Kk are flying, some very nice hurlers. I think all this team needed was confidence.
Game over already and only 22 minutes gone.
Where they get that C&€t of a ref!
Kilkenny – 3 at evens aghhhhh.Let the good times roll baby!!