Malignaggi: If McGregor Wins, Boxing Likely Gets To Keep Him

Former two division champion Paulie Malignaggi is gearing up to be the sparring partner for UFC superstar Conor McGregor, who steps in the ring next month with former five division world champion Floyd Mayweather Jr.

McGregor, who takes part in his first ever boxing match, will face Mayweather on August 26th at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Mayweather, 40 years old, returns for the first time since he retired from boxing back in September 2015. He's been very clear that McGregor will be his final career opponent.

McGregor, while regarded as one of the best MMA fighters in the world, has been given absolutely no shot to win by most credible experts.

But what if the unthinkable happens? What if McGregor pulls off one of the biggest upsets in boxing history?

If that happens, Malignaggi believes McGregor will remain in boxing and never return to being a competitor in the UFC - because the amount of money involved in future boxing fights will far outweigh anything that he could possibly make in a UFC contest.

“I don’t think so [that he would return to MMA after beating Floyd], because I think then we’d get to keep Conor McGregor. We’ll steal him from the UFC, because then he’ll realize how much money he can make in boxing, especially with a win over Floyd Mayweather, and he’ll say, ‘you know what, I kind of like this paycheck. I might hang around for a little bit,’" Malignaggi told The MMA Hour.

“But first things first, let’s see how the fight plays out. I think there’s ways and possibilities to where, even if you lose the fight, if he performs in a decent manner, he’ll come out with an optimal positive of the two. People will come out of the fight talking better about him than about Floyd."

In order to walk away with a positive spin, Malignaggi says Mayweather must completely destroy McGregor - because the Brooklyn native believes that any moments of competitive action by McGregor will overshadow anything done by Mayweather in the bout.

"I think the only way Floyd comes out of this fight with positive press is if he absolutely annihilates Conor McGregor. He has to absolutely annihilate him, and he has to absolutely give him no chance of any inkling of a moment in the fight. If Floyd absolutely annihilates McGregor, then Floyd comes out with positive press," Malignaggi said.

“But if Conor even has certain moments in the fight and still loses, people will talk more about McGregor than Mayweather after this fight, because this is Mayweather’s domain. He’s supposed to dominate. Conor is not supposed to do anything, so anything Conor achieves in this fight is positive for him.”