Former world champion Paulie Malignaggi is open to doing a winner takes all showdown with UFC superstar Conor McGregor - after the two had a bad falling out after their most recent sparring session.
On Friday, McGregor slammed Malignaggi, saying the retired two-division champ was looking for an excuse to leave training camp.
Malignaggi was helping prepare McGregor for his upcoming bout with Floyd Mayweather on August 26 from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
McGregor has never boxed professionally so he brought in several sparring partners to help him get ready to take on the undefeated Mayweather, who is considered one of the greatest of all-time.
Malignaggi, who retired from boxing five months ago, walked out from the training camp after he said McGregor disrespected him in the ring and the dressing room and housed him and the other sparring partners in accommodations resembling a “crackhouse”.
“He was looking for an exit,” McGregor said of Malignaggi at his training facility in Las Vegas. “The spars were not good for him. He took a lot of head trauma. Straight after it we were worried. The sparring partners were actually telling us when he was dropped back at the home that he was stumbling out of the car after the 12-rounder.
McGregor’s camp posted two videos on the internet on Friday of what they claim is a knockdown of Malignaggi, and the second short clip showed Malignagggi taking punishment.
“In my opinion, this was the best thing for him,” said McGregor, who could make $100 million for the fight. “He was looking for a way out. It presented itself and he dived all over it.”
Malignaggi became enraged after reading McGregor's claim that he beat him senseless during the sparring session.
The Brooklyn boxer is willing to settle their dispute in the ring - and he's ready to put his money where his mouth is.
"I don't need the money, we could do winner takes the whole pot. Based on his footage he should be real confident with a deal like that," Malignaggi stated.