With a clear score to settle, the prospect of a boxing bout between Conor McGregor and Paulie Malignaggi in 2018 is likely
McGregor’s first foray into the squared circle ended in defeat to boxing legend Floyd Mayweather Jr. last month, although there were positives in the Irishman’s performance.
Despite looking out of his depth as the fight with the now 50-0 ring icon progressed, McGregor did well in the first few rounds before succumbing to a 10th round stoppage at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
In the lead-up to the bout, the UFC lightweight champion surprisingly recruited former two-weight world titlist Paulie Malignaggi as a training partner. The Brooklyn-native subsequently exited the Irishman’s camp in a row over images which were leaked by McGregor’s team purporting to show “Magic Man” being knocked down by the 29-year-old.
Malignaggi was highly critical of McGregor in the following weeks leading up to the Mayweather bout and campaigned for a shot at the Dubliner once the “Money Fight” had concluded. It appears that interest in that bout may be growing, if the latest change to betting odds featuring a fight between both men are indicative.
Malignaggi had been -225 to McGregor’s +175 in the immediate aftermath of the Mayweather vs. McGregor bout, while Bovada’s latest odds have Malignaggi at -150 and McGregor at +120 (at the time of writing).
Could a fight between both men attract a major pay-per-view audience?
Check out that sparring footage between Conor McGregor and Paulie Malignaggi at the top of this page.
