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Paulie Malignaggi Quits Conor McGregor's Camp After Row Over Sparring Photos

Is there trouble in Conor McGregor world leading up to the big fight?

Stanley Kay

Paulie Malignaggi Quits Conor McGregor's Camp After Row Over Sparring Photos
Paulie Malignaggi Quits Conor McGregor's Camp After Row Over Sparring Photos /

Retired boxer Paulie Malignaggi is stepping away from Conor McGregor's camp with less than four weeks until McGregor's fight with Floyd Mayweather. 

McGregor had used Malignaggi, a former two-weight world champion, as a sparring partner on two occasions.  

"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," Malignaggi told ESPN. "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."

Malignaggi's decision comes after photos of his Thursday sparring session with McGregor were released, appearing to show McGregor dominating. Malignaggi publicly took issue with the photos, arguing they misrepresented what happened. 

He urged McGregor to release a full video of the sparring sesion. 

"I do want that sparring video released. The UFC's PI definitely has that video," Malignaggi told ESPN. "I understand it can't come out now, but Conor, if you have any balls, release what really happened."

Here's a sampling of the photos that were released on Thursday. 

Malignaggi elaborated in a message posted to Twitter, saying that "some of the stuff outside the ring and some ways some things were handled in training camp" caused him to quit McGregor's camp. 

McGregor will face Mayweather on Aug. 26 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. 

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Stanley Kay
STANLEY KAY

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