Malignaggi was invited into McGregor’s training camp in 2017 but after pictures and footage of the spar leaked, including a disputed knockdown of the Brooklyn boxer, it promoted him to depart from the team
ARTEM LOBOV has claimed “the punch bag” gave Conor McGregor more problems than Paulie Malignaggi in sparring and has challenged the ex-boxer to a bare knuckle bout.
Malignaggi joined McGregor's ex-UFC fighter pal Lobov in signing for Bare Knuckle Boxing FC, bringing the prospect of a showdown between the pair much closer.
, which The Notorious lost in ten rounds.
But after pictures of the spar leaked, including a disputed knockdown of Malignaggi, the Brooklyn boxer quit the team.
Speaking to SunSport, Lobov, who was McGregor's training partner and watched the two spars from ringside, claimed “the punch bag” offered his friend more trouble.
Honestly the punch bag was giving Conor more trouble, he wasn’t throwing anything
Artem Lobov on Paulie Malignaggi sparring Conor McGregor
Lobov said: “I watched him spar, and honest to god he has nothing but a jab.
"His jab used to be good, he had the speed, but everybody knows with age speed is the first thing to go.
"Honestly the punch bag was giving him more trouble, he wasn’t throwing anything.
"He tried to move with the jab, he was terrified to let the right hand go because of the counters.
“He honestly offered nothing - Conor was playing with him, talking to him and that’s it. He did nothing, he didn't land one single solid shot.
“His speed is long-gone - now he has nothing - he has never had power, he doesn’t have power now and his hands have always been very fragile.”
Malignaggi has already hinted his new employers will offer former two-weight UFC champ McGregor a lucrative deal to switch the 4oz gloves for exposed knuckles.
But with The Notorious hellbent on becoming the UFC’s No1 star again, a scrap with his SBG teammate is far more realistic for Malignaggi.
And Lobov claimed “the ball is in his court” - as he goaded Malignaggi by claiming his “fragile” hands and low KO rate will put him at a disadvantage if they meet with exposed knuckles.
Lobov said: “As long as he accepts, the fight will be made - I take any fight, any place, and that’s been me since day one and it will be until the last day.
“The ball is in his court, if he accepts, the fight will happen.
“This is bareknuckle, so what’s he going to do - he was a volume puncher, but you can’t do that in bareknuckle because if you hit your hands on the elbow on the head, or elbow, you will break your hands.
“This doesn’t suit him at all, even the clinch is bare knuckle in different, you’re allowed to grab and this isn’t new to me, I come from MMA and compared to him my clinch is excellent.
“This suits me down to the ground, he’s a decision guy, he never puts anyone away, you need power, explosion - I do, and he doesn't.”
