UFC featherweight Artem Lobov is willing to fight former boxing champion Paulie Malignaggi in a boxing match.
On Monday, Malignaggi appeared on The MMA Hour and referred to Lobov as McGregor’s punching bag.
After hearing the interview, Lobov responded by saying he would “box the ears off” of Malignaggi.
“I think he’s an emotional mess and he doesn’t know how to control it,” Lobov told MMA Fighting. “He saw me calling him a diva, and he saw Tiernan (Bradley) doing the interviews, and he just couldn’t take it. If he wants to fight, I’m down to fight. I’ll box the ears off him, no problem.”
Malignaggi joined McGregor’s training camp to help him prepare for his professional boxing debut, but he left the camp after two sparring sessions.
Malignaggi left after photos were revealed of McGregor knocking him to the ground. The former boxing champion claims he was pushed to the ground, and as a response, McGregor’s team released the sparring footage.
McGregor will fight Floyd “Money” Mayweather in his first boxing match on Aug. 26 in Las Vegas.
