UFC Lightweight Champion Conor McGregor has asked former boxing champion Paul Malignaggi to join his team and spar with him in preparation for his professional boxing debut.
McGregor is scheduled to fight boxing icon Floyd “Money” Mayweather on Aug. 26 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
“I did get called to go to camp with Conor McGregor,” Malignaggi said in a recent interview. “I was surprised because I haven’t really been training or I haven’t really been in the gym. I started working out a little bit and I’m working out details to spar with McGregor.”
Malignaggi once called out McGregor after the UFC champion applied for a boxing license back in December.
“I did call him out but I think that shows the character of the man,” Malignaggi said.
“He could have said ‘screw that kid, he called me out, I’m not going to put him in my training camp’, but I think it shows the competitive spirit and the willingness to want to learn on the part of McGregor.”
Malignaggi is expected to join McGregor’s team when McGregor begins training in Las Vegas. Currently, McGregor has been preparing for his boxing debut in his home country of Ireland.
