UFC Lightweight Champion Conor McGregor has broken his silence on his situation with former boxing champion Paulie Malignaggi.
Malignaggi recently left McGregor’s training camp after not liking the way he was treated. He left the camp after photos were leaked of McGregor knocking him to the ground.
On Friday, McGregor talked about what happened with Malignaggi during his media day in Las Vegas.
“It shows his character in my opinion,” McGregor said. “He was looking for an exit. The spars were not good for him, he took a lot of head trauma. Straight after it, we were worried. The sparring partners were actually telling us that when he was dropped back at home he was stumbling out of the car after the 12 rounder.
“He was knocked down, he was flattened against the ropes multiple times. Times the ropes kept him on his feet. We were worried about him. We thought the worst was about to happen. He was certainly badly concussed. And then he just got out of there and went running.
“I don’t know, I don’t mind Paulie. He came in, he spoke a hell of a game previous, but no matter what a man says, if they show up and try to answer that as best they can, you got to give respect. That’s what happened, he showed up and tried his best, and he got his ass whooped. He got his pride dented, and he wanted his way out.”
McGregor is training to make his professional boxing debut. On Aug. 26, he will fight Floyd “Money” Mayweather in Las Vegas.
