Paulie Malignaggi has another SBG fighter in his sights.
As long as there are casual combat sports fans, the possibility of Paulie Malignaggi boxing Conor McGregor is going to be something everyone has to cope with.
What McGregor has done inside the ring isn't comparable to the feats he has accomplished inside the Octagon. Getting knocked out by a sluggish, past-his-prime Floyd Mayweather just doesn't stack up to starching Jose Aldo in 13 seconds or turning Eddie Alvarez's chin to rubble.
The Irishman is an elite-level MMA fighter, and MMA fans want to see in high-level MMA contests. But money talks, and there's a lot of money in boxing.
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There aren't that many marquee names at the business end of the Red Panty Night queue that have mainstream appeal. Nate Diaz is one, Georges St-Pierre is another if he can lose a few pounds and, of course, there's Malignaggi.
Think of how many people followed every development in the build-up to 'the Money Fight'. Think of all the views those press conferences got on YouTube. Think of how easy it is to sell the 'they don't like each other' rivalry to the masses who don't regularly watch fights.
Now think of how easy it would be to get everyone to tune into Malignaggi vs McGregor's mate. It would be like fishing with dynamite.
Following another tough loss in Gdansk, Artem Lobov hinted at retirement before stating he would inquire about the UFC releasing him from his contract so that he could try his hand at boxing.
There was no bullshit from Lobov, he was very honest about why he would consider changing disciplines. He admitted he was tired of losing to fighters who take him down at will, so a standing-only battle would really appeal to him.
However, the interviewer asked him if he would like to fight Malignaggi. Not being one to turn down any opponent, 'The Russian Hammer' admitted he would happily box the former two-weight world champion.
After hearing the comments, Malignaggi countered with an offer of his own that he assured everyone he was 'not kidding' about.
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That's right, Malignaggi wants the two-for-one special. He wants to take on McGregor and Lobov in the same night.
What's next? Give them weapons? Throw a few wild animals into the ring with them? A tag team match involving CM Punk?
While one would assume that the Nevada State Athletic Commission wouldn't sign off on a one-night boxing tournament, we can't make any assumptions after they allowed Kevin Lee to fight at UFC 216 with a staph infection and a resting heart rate of 152 bpm.
