Getty Image
Former boxing champ Paulie Malignaggi helped train McGregor for his fight against Floyd Mayweather, and he’s clearly unimpressed with the MMA star’s boxing skills.
During a recent interview with Lord Ping, Malignaggi believed current Youtubers could beat McGregor in a boxing match.
“Conor McGregor’s boxing skills are so brutal that I think even a YouTube boxer like AnesonGib would beat Conor McGregor in a boxing ring. I worked with Gib for his first last year against Austin McBroom, and Gib brings a lot of stress and a lot of pressure. At this point, I think he’d even beat up Conor McGregor in a boxing ring.”
Malignaggi says he believes McGregor’s career is more comparable to one of a WWE star than an actual combat sports athlete.
“Conor has taken very calculated risks. He knew getting his ass kicked by Mayweather was ok as he’s the best fighter ever. Losing to Khabib – Khabib was the main guy in MMA – so that’s ok too. Conor can get his a** kicked perennially, win one fight in six years, and still have this reputation. His reputation is pretty protected. He’s a real life WWE wrestling character. Your favourite wrestler can lose one week and win the next week and it’s still a show. McGregor’s like a WWE wrestler. He gets the sh** beaten out of him consistently and his fan base doesn’t care.”
It is worth noting that a video Pof aulie’s sparring session with McGregor that shows McGregor knocking down the former boxing champ went viral back in 2017 when Dana White shared it on his Twitter page.
Here is the video everyone wanted to see of Conor vs Paulie Malignaggi former IBF and WBA World Champion @TheNotoriousMMA pic.twitter.com/GfFP3SKsye
— danawhite (@danawhite) August 12, 2017