Paulie Malignaggi threatens to attack nemesis Conor McGregor and his team if paths cross on bare knuckle boxing circuit
The 38-year-old former two-weight world champion is expected to face the UFC star's close friend Artem Lobov soon
PAULIE MALIGNAGGI has threatened to attack Conor McGregor’s whole team should their paths cross on the bare knuckle boxing circuit.
The 38-year-old retired American boxer is at war with the UFC sensation after he leaked a short clip of sparring footage from the build-up to the Irishman’s 2017 bout with Floyd Mayweather.
The film showed McGregor dropping the former two-weight world champion but Malignaggi insists it was a few rare seconds of success for the Dubliner, who was actually dominated throughout the rest of the unreleased footage.
On March 7 it was revealed Malignaggi had signed a deal with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, who had previously signed up McGregor’s close friend and Straight Blast Gym team-mate Artem Lobov.
And the Magic Man has warned Irish MMA mastermind John Kavanagh and striking coach Owen Roddy that if they corner Lobov in his impending bout with Malignaggi, they are in for a beating.
If you are responsible for this then you are on my hitlist.
Paulie Malignaggi
Speaking at the launch of Ultimate Boxxer III, Malignaggi told SunSport: “Conor was only allowing his own team in the sparring so they have all backed up his story.
"To be able to put that bed, to be able to get in there and use Artem as a punchbag, it is going to feel really good.
"I may not be in a good mood on the day and end up beating the s*** out of his whole corner, not just Artem.
“As far as I am concerned, if you were there and haven’t spoken the truth, then you are responsible for this.
“If you are responsible for this then you are on my hitlist, that obviously includes Conor but also his trainers and anyone else around him.”
Following three consecutive UFC defeats, Lobov was cut from the company and signed a deal with BKFC.
The Russian Hammer’s debut is on April 20 against another former UFC fighter in Jason Knight while Malignaggi is yet to have a date confirmed
But a grudge match between the 32-year-old MMA fighter and the boxer with names like Ricky Hatton and Amir Khan on his record is bound to happen and turn nasty.
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Malignaggi said: “If Artem is too easy for me and I wipe him out in two rounds, everyone better watch out because I am not wasting my time in a training camp for a five-minute beating.
“I want to put this guy in the hospital so he better last long enough for me to be able to hospitalise him because, if he doesn’t, his corner will be in a lot of trouble as well.”
BT Sport will broadcast the Ultimate Boxxer series live on TV and YouTube, starting on Friday 10th May from The Indigo at The O2.
