Last month, former WBA welterweight boxing champion Paulie Malignaggi signed with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship. The Showtime analyst is hoping to step into the ring against Conor McGregor teammate Artem Lobov, who is also signed to the promotion.
The pair recently came face-to-face at a Bare Knuckle media day this week. After exchanging some words, Malignaggi slapped Lobov before the two were quickly separated. Malignaggi yelled at “The Russian Hammer” that he gave him a “b*tch slap for a b*tch.” Check out the video here:
Malignaggi is looking to avenge his long-standing issues with the Conor McGregor camp. He was originally a part of the Irishman’s training camp back in 2017 for his fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. However, when McGregor leaked out footage from one of their sparring sessions, showing what looked like McGregor knocking the former champion down, Malignaggi left the camp.
He has since been lobbying for a fight against “The Notorious,” however, nothing has ever come to fruition. Perhaps Malignaggi is attempting to lure the former UFC “Champ Champ” out by defeating Lobov in a Bare Knuckle bout. McGregor already avenged Lobov’s honor once when he sparked a war with Khabib Nurmagomedov for slapping his training partner in Brooklyn.
McGregor actually chartered a private jet to the United States from Ireland and tossed a dolly through the fighter bus Khabib was in. Will history be repeating itself after Malignaggi’s slap on Lobov? Lobov makes his Bare Knuckle FC debut against fellow former UFC fighter Jason “The Kid” Knight on April 20.
What do you think about Malignaggi slapping Lobov?
