Conor McGregor reportedly had to apologise to Showtime Boxing boss Stephen Espinoza for his 2017 comments about the executive in order to be allowed into Gervonta Davis vs Ryan Garcia.
The former UFC champion was spotted at ringside and backstage for the massive pay-per-view bout in Las Vegas last weekend, which was a dual broadcast between DAZN and Showtime. And his one-time sparring partner; former world champion Paulie Malignaggi, has claimed that he was forced to grovel to Espinoza in order to be allowed into the event.
Malignaggi, who was fired from Showtime's broadcast team in the summer of 2020, told fans listening to his Paulie.tv podcast that McGregor was forced to apologise to Espinoza after branding him a "weasel" during the build-up to his fight with Floyd Mayweather back in the summer of 2017.
"This happened because I've got all the inside sources, Conor McGregor had to apologise to Stephen Espinoza in order to get tickets to the Gervonta Davis vs Ryan Garcia fight," Malignaggi said in a lengthy rant. "Everybody knows that McGregor has had issues, his run ins with Espinoza in the past and they were enemies as well.
"But Espinoza now controls the tickets, it's a Showtime fight. He had to apologise and this p**** apologised just to get tickets to the fight. Conor McGregor, Connie, how does Stephen Espinoza's d*** taste? Can you let me know? Because I told them to f*** off when they wanted me to apologise."
Malignaggi was an analyst on Showtime after he hung up the gloves in 2017, but was removed from his position during the coronavirus pandemic after making comments regarding the "dominant race" in boxing during a now-deleted interview with iFL TV. He reportedly refused a request from ViacomCBS, Showtime's parent company, to apologise for the interview.
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"I want to know because I already told you you've got no balls, we already know you've got no balls," Malignaggi continued. But now just when I thought you couldn't sink any lower, you apologise just for tickets to the fight. Bro, how does Stephen's d*** taste? Can you respond to me, please?
"I know once in a while you like to put the same highlight on loop over and over again with the only five seconds you had from our sparring. Can you let me know how Stephen's d*** tastes? Because I could never describe it, bro. When they told me to apologise, I told them to blow me. Can you tell me please? How does Stephen Espinoza's d*** taste? Was it worth those tickets? Let me know."
Malignaggi and McGregor sparred during the build-up to that bout with Mayweather, infamously disagreeing publicly in the aftermath. The boxer claims that he dominated proceedings despite arriving in late and out of shape, but McGregor has shared footage seemingly showing him dropping his rival, and believes that he won the majority of the exchanges.
