Former two-weight UFC world champion Conor McGregor has been told to stick to acting as he would be nothing more than a “punching bag” if he returned to the Octagon.
That is the brutal view of former boxing world champion Paulie Malignaggi, who believes he is playing games with his prospective next opponent Michael Chandler.
McGregor, 35, is currently promoting the movie Road House, after making his acting debut in the film alongside Hollywood star Jake Gyllenhall.
“The Notorious” has not fought in the UFC since breaking his leg in a defeat to Dustin Poirier in July 2021. The Irishman still has two fights left on his current UFC deal and has hinted he could return to the Octagon this year.
“Insecure” McGregor holding “payday” over Michael Chandler’s head
Chandler has been slated as McGregor’s next opponent, after the pair were recently coaches on the Ultimate Fighter.
But as the wait continues to drag on for them to square off in the cage, Malignaggi, who has been outspoken on his views on McGregor in the past, is not convinced the fight will actually happen
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“Why try to be a tough guy in the cage when you can pretend to be a tough guy in the movies?” Malignaggi told Lord Ping.
Conor McGregor announces his UFC return is now officially CONFIRMED 😱“Chandler in the summer, I got great news. It’s all systems go. Got the call, thumbs up.”(via @marcraimondi) pic.twitter.com/ygiU1H2hcd
— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) March 19, 2024
“People fall for it, people think that Brad Pitt can fight, they think actors can fight, so McGregor should carry on being the pretend tough guy. Why risk doing it for real and being a punching bag? He can sell himself better in the acting world than the fighting world.
“Why would he put himself in a situation where he can get knocked out? I feel like he’s playing games with Michael Chandler, holding the payday over his head.
“He’s a very insecure person, so it doesn’t surprise me what he’s trying to do to Chandler. As a man and as a fighter there should be a commitment to fighting Chandler or not. The man has no balls.
“He’s such an insecure p***k, it’s wild to see. I don’t think the Chandler fight happens. Inside he knows he’s a punching bag at this point and he’s not going to risk getting hurt again.”