Two-time boxing world champion Paulie Malignaggi has launched a stunning verbal assault on Conor McGregor - calling the former two-time UFC champion 'the Pinata of combat sports' and challenging him to a 'winner takes all' boxing fight.
Speaking exclusively on 'Off the Brawl' on Saturday, Malignaggi said: "I think Conor knows his time is coming to an end. He has become the Pinata of combat sports, just like I predicted he would once he reached this level. He just wasn't going to be able to hack it.
"So I think now that he realises it's happening - he's trying all that he can to keep himself relevant as best he can - even going as far as calling out the Japanese featherweight Nasukawa. That guy just did an exhibition with Floyd Mayweather - I don't think he was intending to fight guys as big as Floyd and Conor, that physically big - he's a very small guy. It was a one-off situation. Conor's not the same - he's not Floyd Mayweather.
"Floyd Mayweather doesn't lose - Conor loses every year. So I think Conor twisted up the roles a little bit. He got a bit confused - he forget he was Conor 'McQuitter' and thought he was Floyd Mayweather for a second where he could just walk into the free money. Guys like Floyd earn that kind of thing.
"In truth, he's trying to look for free money because he knows that his time at the top is coming to an end. I found it kind of laughable that Nasukawa told him to 'step aside' and say 'hey, you know, it's not really going to happen' and so I think suddenly, when that happens, you start to notice the rumours about me and Conor.
"So, I don't think it was coincidental - I just think it's his team trying to put out things to keep his name in the public eye because there were no talks about me and Conor prior to him trying for Nasukawa."
Malignaggi's ill-will towards the Dubliner has been lingering for a number of years now and the American is keen to insure whatever legacy McGregor leaves in the fight game will be tarnished, telling Ronan: "One big error Conor McGregor made is that he's going to be irrelevant in a couple of years and I will never be irrelevant because I'm always on TV. So I will make sure his legacy is dead and buried because I know he has no legacy. His entire legacy was garbage and I know his entire legacy was made up of a small run, sort of like lighting in a bottle - he actually was not as good as people thought and it's now being proven.
"A legacy is created over longevity and Conor McGregor has had no longevity - he's just the punching bag of combat sports. So believe me, when Conor McGregor is gone and irrelevant in the next couple of years and I will make sure, in my time, that everybody knows how overrated he was and I will destroy whatever legacy he thought he was going to make because he's a con-artist and I've been slowly uncovering how much of a con-artist he is."
Given the bad blood between the camps, Malignaggi challenged McGregor to a boxing match - with one proviso - it's a 'winner takes all' clash, saying: "There's no other fight he can make that he makes more money than he does fighting me - the problem is, he gets beaten by me. Why are you looking to fight Japanese featherweights for half the money than you would fighting me if you can beat me.
" [Eddie] Hearn can easily put the fight together, [Al] Haymon can easily put the fight together, Showtime have said they'd be interested in it - I don't think it's a no-brainer at this point. I don't think it'd any secret at this point - there's money in the fight.
"In boxing I'd be interested in it - I'd love to do a 'winner takes all' fight just so he can go for free but I don't think he'd ever agree to that. I would love to fight Conor McGregor in a 'winner takes all' fight in a boxing match, I would absolutely love it because I would beat him to a pulp, I would hospitalise him and I'd make him go home broke too."
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