Author: Joseph Zucker

Paulie Malignaggi Quitting as Conor McGregor Sparring Partner over Video

Paulie Malignaggi confirmed to ESPN.com’s Brett Okamoto that he will no longer be Conor McGregor’s sparring partner as McGregor prepares for his Aug. 26 fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Malignaggi told Okamoto the stories regarding his sparring sessions…

Paulie Malignaggi confirmed to ESPN.com’s Brett Okamoto that he will no longer be Conor McGregor’s sparring partner as McGregor prepares for his Aug. 26 fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Malignaggi told Okamoto the stories regarding his sparring sessions with McGregor have “become a fiasco” and a “circus”:

“I wanted to be part of this event, but I didn’t want to become the story, and that’s what this has turned into. I won’t release any information about his game plan or what he’s working on—I wouldn’t do that. But this has become a fiasco. It’s a circus.

“And I do want that sparring video released. The UFC’s PI definitely has that video. I understand it can’t come out now, but Conor, if you have any balls, release what really happened.”

Malignaggi had taken issue with photos from his sparring session with McGregor that appear to show the UFC star having the upper hand over the experienced boxer.

On Twitter, Malignaggi asked McGregor and UFC to unveil the full footage from the session:

UFC photographer Brandon Magnus shared a photo in which McGregor is landing a left jab on Malignaggi:

Malignaggi also didn’t like a pair of pictures posted by the Twitter account @ConormcGregor5, which imply McGregor landed a knockdown on Malignaggi. Malignaggi tweeted that it was a “pushdown”:

On Wednesday, the 36-year-old told Okamoto that he was surprised to see a crowd assembled around the ring to watch his sparring session with McGregor:

“Usually all sparring is private. I show up at the UFC headquarters and [former owner, Lorenzo] Fertitta is there. [UFC president] Dana White is there. So, I’m thinking these guys are thinking they’ll catch me right off the flight, set me up for him to look good in front of his audience. I didn’t like that. I kind of went in with a chip on my shoulder.”

Malignaggi had praise for McGregor, describing the UFC lightweight champion is “getting better and better” and “implementing more and more of what they want to do in their game plan.”

Sparring with Malignaggi was undoubtedly good preparation for McGregor ahead of his Aug. 26 fight. The fact Malignaggi will no longer work with McGregor will do little to help him close the gap on the unbeaten Mayweather.

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Paulie Malignaggi Says Conor McGregor’s Sparring Is Improving

With less than a month before Conor McGregor’s superfight with Floyd Mayweather, sparring partner Paulie Malignaggi saw encouraging signs from McGregor after watching the UFC champion train. 
“I think the intensity Conor’s reaching is starting to …

With less than a month before Conor McGregor’s superfight with Floyd Mayweather, sparring partner Paulie Malignaggi saw encouraging signs from McGregor after watching the UFC champion train. 

“I think the intensity Conor’s reaching is starting to show in the hard work he’s put into camp,” Malignaggi said, per ESPN.com’s Brett Okamoto. “I think he’s getting better and better. I really felt improvements from two weeks ago to now … I do see a guy who is implementing more and more of what they want to do in their game plan.”

Malignaggi has been sparring with McGregor to help him prepare for Mayweather in the ring.

While working with Malignaggi should help him on Aug. 26 in Las Vegas, McGregor still faces what is nearly an impossible task of closing the gap on one of the best defensive boxers in the history of the sport.

McGregor’s a very good striker in the realm of mixed martial arts, and 18 of his 21 victories have come via knockout. If he has an opening, he can end the fight with one punch. But that’s far easier said than done against the 40-year-old Mayweather, who didn’t look to have lost a step in his most recent fight, a unanimous decision win over Andre Berto in September 2015.

McGregor shared a video of his training on June 29:

In doing so, he unintentionally illustrated the gulf between himself and Mayweather, who also posted a training clip on the same day:

According to OddsShark, McGregor is a 4-1 underdog against Mayweather.

McGregor may be able to silence his critics in Las Vegas in a little over three weeks, but many more experienced fighters stepped into the ring against Mayweather with the same intention and exited in defeat.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Paulie Malignaggi Says Conor McGregor’s Sparring Is Improving

With less than a month before Conor McGregor’s superfight with Floyd Mayweather, sparring partner Paulie Malignaggi saw encouraging signs from McGregor after watching the UFC champion train. 
“I think the intensity Conor’s reaching is starting to …

With less than a month before Conor McGregor’s superfight with Floyd Mayweather, sparring partner Paulie Malignaggi saw encouraging signs from McGregor after watching the UFC champion train. 

“I think the intensity Conor’s reaching is starting to show in the hard work he’s put into camp,” Malignaggi said, per ESPN.com’s Brett Okamoto. “I think he’s getting better and better. I really felt improvements from two weeks ago to now … I do see a guy who is implementing more and more of what they want to do in their game plan.”

Malignaggi has been sparring with McGregor to help him prepare for Mayweather in the ring.

While working with Malignaggi should help him on Aug. 26 in Las Vegas, McGregor still faces what is nearly an impossible task of closing the gap on one of the best defensive boxers in the history of the sport.

McGregor’s a very good striker in the realm of mixed martial arts, and 18 of his 21 victories have come via knockout. If he has an opening, he can end the fight with one punch. But that’s far easier said than done against the 40-year-old Mayweather, who didn’t look to have lost a step in his most recent fight, a unanimous decision win over Andre Berto in September 2015.

McGregor shared a video of his training on June 29:

In doing so, he unintentionally illustrated the gulf between himself and Mayweather, who also posted a training clip on the same day:

According to OddsShark, McGregor is a 4-1 underdog against Mayweather.

McGregor may be able to silence his critics in Las Vegas in a little over three weeks, but many more experienced fighters stepped into the ring against Mayweather with the same intention and exited in defeat.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Michael Bisping Says Fight with Georges St-Pierre ‘Official’ for UFC 217

Michael Bisping confirmed on FS1 (via Fox Sports UFC) Wednesday that he intends to fight Georges St-Pierre at UFC 217 on Nov. 4 at Madison Square Garden in New York City:

St-Pierre hasn’t fought in UFC since beating Johny Hendricks at UFC 16…

Michael Bisping confirmed on FS1 (via Fox Sports UFC) Wednesday that he intends to fight Georges St-Pierre at UFC 217 on Nov. 4 at Madison Square Garden in New York City:

St-Pierre hasn’t fought in UFC since beating Johny Hendricks at UFC 167 in November 2013. 

The 36-year-old returned to the company after agreeing to a contract in February. The company first revealed in March he’d face Bisping in his first fight back in the Octagon. Two months later, however, UFC delayed the bout, with UFC President Dana White saying that fans could likely expect to see St-Pierre in 2018.

White had also cast doubt on whether St-Pierre would cross paths with Bisping but changed his mind following UFC 214 last Saturday in Anaheim, California.

“That ship f–king turned around and sailed back,” White said of Bisping vs. GSP, per MMA Fighting’s Dave Doyle.

White had entertained the idea of St-Pierre taking on the winner of Tyron Woodley‘s welterweight title fight with Demian Maia. Woodley retained the belt in a unanimous decision. Fans inside Honda Center chanted “boring” during the fight, and White had less than flattering things to say about Woodley‘s performance.

“Listen, when you break a record for the least number of punches thrown in a five-round fight, when you beat it and it was like 130 and these guys threw 60 or something like that, that sums it up,” White said, per Doyle. “If you get booed out of the arena, that’s not good. That’s not how you make your money. If people don’t want to watch you, that’s a bad sign.”

With Woodley no longer an option, it sealed the deal for Bisping to get his long-awaited opportunity at one of the greatest fighters in UFC history.

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Chael Sonnen Says Chuck Liddell Will ‘Most Likely’ Be His Next Bellator Fight

Chael Sonnen has predicted a return to mixed martial arts for Chuck Liddell, telling FloCombat’s Duane Finley that he expects to fight Liddell in his next Bellator bout. 
“I think the most likely opponent is going to end up being [Liddell],” Sonne…

Chael Sonnen has predicted a return to mixed martial arts for Chuck Liddell, telling FloCombat’s Duane Finley that he expects to fight Liddell in his next Bellator bout. 

“I think the most likely opponent is going to end up being [Liddell],” Sonnen said. “We’ll see what happens there, but that’s what I think is going to happen.”

Liddell hasn’t fought professionally since losing to Rich Franklin at UFC 115 in June 2010.

     

This article will be updated to provide more information on this story as it becomes available.

     

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Dana White Talked to Tyron Woodley After Criticism, Says ‘We’re Cool Now’

UFC President Dana White told TMZ Sports that he cleared the air with UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley after Woodley demanded a public apology from White for his criticism toward his victory over Demian Maia in the co-main event Saturday at UFC …

UFC President Dana White told TMZ Sports that he cleared the air with UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley after Woodley demanded a public apology from White for his criticism toward his victory over Demian Maia in the co-main event Saturday at UFC 214 in Anaheim, California.

“Woodley and I talked, and he said he was just pissed and upset and didn’t mean it,” White said.      

TMZ Sports also spoke with Woodley, who said, “We good,” when asked about his grievances with White.

     

This article will be updated to provide more information on this story as it becomes available.

     

Get the best sports content from the web and social in the new B/R app. Get the app and get the game.

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