"Why were you controlling yourself with me?" - Paulie Malignaggi calls Conor McGregor 'a punk with no balls' after attack on Italian DJ

Retired professional boxer Paulie Malignaggi is still at odds with UFC superstar Conor McGregor. Malignaggi recently criticized his former training partner, who was accused of punching a popular Italian DJ in Rome. During an interview with The Schmo, Malignaggi opined that Conor McGregor isn't just lashing out without thinking.

Malignaggi said:

"Unbelievable! I don't know why he [Francesco Facchinetti] got hit. No matter how much he disrespected... and I doubt he disrespected him [Conor McGregor] because I heard he was a fan of Conor. But so was the guy who took a picture with Conor and Conor smashed his iPhone, right? So I don't think it matters with Conor whether the guy is a fan or the guy is a hater. I think Conor just goes off the rails. No, no, I'm going to rephrase that. He doesn't go off the rails, he knows who he can bully. Because if you're the type of person who goes off the rails, you go off the rails and sometimes you go off the rails even if it's at your detriment."

McGregor has been involved in a series of violent acts over the past few months, including a dust-up with American rapper Machine Gun Kelly. Years prior, McGregor reportedly assaulted an elderly man in a pub over a whiskey dispute.

Paulie Malignaggi, who was once part of Conor McGregor's inner circle, believes the former UFC champ is a "bully" who only picks on people who can't defend themselves against him. Paulie Malignaggi added:

"Why were you controlling yourself with me, bro? Because you know you're gonna get a punch back in the mouth? I mean because with me, you might react, you might even hit me but you're gonna get hit back a hundred percent... I knew that guy was a punk when I first put eyes on him... A lot of people realize it now, but it didn't take all this for me to realize that was a punk with no balls..."

Watch Paulie Malignaggi's scathing rant about Conor McGregor below:

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Why did Paulie Malignaggi leave Conor McGregor's camp?

Conor McGregor and Paulie Malignaggi had a falling out in 2017 after the Irishman's photographer posted images depicting the retired boxer in a negative light, including one that showed Malignaggi on his back. At the time, Malignaggi was helping McGregor prepare for his clash against Floyd Mayweather.

According to the former boxing champ, the photos don't tell the complete story as he was pushed instead of knocked down. The two then had a heated confrontation during a press event. Malignaggi got in McGregor's face, but good sense prevailed as the two did not get physical.