The one thing Dana White and Paulie Malignaggi have in common is knowing how to sell a fight.
For UFC president Dana White, his job for August is to make sure everyone keeps on talking about the definitive money fight between Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather.
To ensure that everyone’s gaze is focused squarely on that August 26 date, two snippets from McGregor and Paulie Malignaggi’s sparring session was released to the world via White’s Instagram account. The clips were brilliantly brief and their ambiguity made it easy White to say the following on Sky Sports:
“I was there for all 12 rounds and Paulie has said some crazy things, some bad thingsabout me – I felt sorry for the guy. It was a one-way beating.”
“It’s his word against mine” – genius promotion.
Says it all, really https://t.co/BsEcRmyLEE
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) August 15, 2017
Conveniently, Malignaggi was right in the middle of an interview on The MMA Hour while White was talking to the broadcasters across the pond. Host Helwani put White’s comments, which sparked the exact type of reaction one might expect from a colourful character such as the retired pugilist.
“Of course he’s going to say that! And that’s probably the main reason why the entire sparring will never come out. Then you’re going to wind up looking very stupid.”
White did say during his interview that he would have no problem releasing the footage of the entire session, but McGregor doesn’t want it to see the light of day before fight night. A protective measure to ensure that Mayweather won’t be able to catch a glimpse of what’s in store. of course.
She predicts an early finish https://t.co/Nn6sanNhLA
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) August 15, 2017
Malignaggi argued that if the session was as one-sided as White claimed, he would not have been able to see it out to the end because he wasn’t in fight shape.
“I’m not even in great shape and I’m ‘getting my ass kicked every single round’ (then) how do I even last 12? How do I get to 12? Just to take a 12 round beating you’ve got to be in shape. If you’re not in shape, you’re not going to last the 12 rounds. There’s just no way!”
“The fact that I’m not in great shape and it went 12 will tell you common sense-wise how things went on in there.”
Common sense?!?! McGregor is making his professional boxing debut against Floyd Fuckin’ Mayweather this month. So we say to hell with common sense!
