Frampton Tabs McGregor To Beat Malignaggi in Boxing Match
Sep 4, 2017 • 4:29 AM ET
Carl Frampton is picking countryman Conor McGregor to defeat Paulie Malignaggi in a boxing match - if that bout ever comes together.
Last month, McGregor made his professional boxing debut against former five division world champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
McGregor, who is arguably the biggest star in mixed martial arts, did much better than anyone could have expected. Many observers had him winning the first three rounds. McGregor would fade as the fight played out and was eventually stopped in the tenth round.
Frampton was impressed by McGregor's performance in the fight.
"He was better than I thought. He didn't embarrass himself, he done well. He won the first three rounds in my eyes and then Mayweather came on strong. It wasn't Mayweather's game, but he was trying to walk him down and that's not Mayweather's game. McGregor should not be embarrassed at all. He done great," Frampton told TMZ Sports.
"He gassed, but it was his first fight. Most guys in their first professional fight, they go four rounds or six rounds. He went [in a fight scheduled for] twelve rounds against the greatest fighter of my generation."
In the weeks leading up to the Mayweather fight, there was a heated feud between McGregor and Malignaggi, who retired earlier this year.
Malignaggi was hired by McGregor to serve as a sparring partner. There was a major fallout when member's of McGregor's team leaked photos of a sparring session, and the images painted a picture of Malignaggi getting battered and getting knocked down.
Since last month's fight, Malignaggi has challenged McGregor to a "winner takes all" showdown in the ring - to settle their dispute.
Frampton believes McGregor, in the future, will continue to compete as a boxer - because there is far more money to be made than fighting again in the UFC.
"There is more money in boxing for him. I think he'd fight Paulie Malignaggi. On that performance [against Mayweather], probably Conor [would beat Malignaggi]," Frampton said.
