Conor McGregor was "smart not to pull the trigger", claims ex-sparring partner after labeling his rise to fame as fluke

For Conor McGregor, the journey as one of combat sports' biggest stars hasn't been without its fair share of setbacks. The Irishman has faced recent challenges inside the octagon, losing three of his last four bouts, all via stoppages.

Adding fuel to the fire, Paulie Malignaggi, a longstanding rival of McGregor, has launched a fresh tirade, labeling the Irishman a "quitter."

The highly publicized feud between Conor McGregor and Malignaggi traces back to 2017 when Malignaggi assisted 'The Notorious'' in preparation for his crossover boxing bout against Floyd Mayweather. Tensions escalated when footage of their sparring session was leaked, prompting Malignaggi to challenge McGregor to release the complete training footage.

Speaking in an interview with Action Network, Malignaggi did not mince words, asserting that McGregor's achievements had a luck factor. Malignaggi emphasized that executing flashy moves doesn't define one as a true fighter.

He highlighted attributes such as mettle, determination, and a willingness to endure adversity as important traits in a fighter, traits he believes McGregor lacks. According to Malignaggi [ht/ Mirror]:

"McGregor was lucky to achieve what he achieved in his career, physically and talent wise he's up there, but just because you can do a bunch of high kicks from a Jean Claude Van Dam movie, doesn't mean you're a fighter; you need guts, you need a willingness to succeed, you need a willingness to enter the trenches and if you don't have that, you're going to fade."

Malignaggi added:

"I'm a better trash talker than McGregor, that's one of the reasons he did not fight me, I would have trashed him in the press conferences and the fight," he said. "It would have ended all of the hysteria around him because I would have destroyed him in the trash talking and in the ring. I would have ruined the whole aura around him. He was smart not to pull the trigger on a fight with me,"

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BKFC star Mike Perry calls out Conor McGregor for a potential clash

Mike Perry issued a challenge to former UFC two-division champion Conor McGregor following his victory in the BKFC 56 main event against Eddie Alvarez. Perry scored a TKO victory in the second round and was crowned the 'King of Violence.'

This win cements Perry's status as a marquee figure in BKFC. In the aftermath, Perry expressed his willingness to take on new challenges and directed a call-out to UFC star Conor McGregor during the post-fight interview, declaring:

“Conor McGregor would be a great matchup. I just beat somebody he fought for a world title. Who’s bigger than that? There’s no one bigger than Conor McGregor except me.”

Check out the video below: