Boxing legend Paulie Malignaggi mocks MMA fans as ‘not that intelligent’ in latest dig at rival sport | BJPenn.com

Paulie Malignaggi didn’t hesitate to give his opinion on Mixed Martial Arts fans.

Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts are undoubtedly two of the most popular martial arts in the world. While boxing carries more history than MMA, the UFC’s monstrous rise has attracted a larger audience than most boxing events.

The two sports have developed a rivalry in recent years. Several high-profile boxing promoters, most notably Bob Arum, have condemned MMA for its brutality.

One of boxing’s top analysts went one step further in his assessment of MMA’s following.

Paulie Malignaggi slams ‘stupid’ MMA fans for not demanding cross-promotional fights

During a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani ShowPaulie Malignaggi took off on the MMA fanbase.

“MMA fans are not that intelligent,” Malignaggi said. “I’ve said that time and time again. I’m going to give you an example of why they’re so stupid…

“If a fan had any level of intelligence beyond the point of being r——-, they would say, ‘Wow, I want to see the fighter who is the champion of one promotion against the other champion who is the same weight.’ I want to see what that looks like! Just like we do in boxing…[MMA fans] don’t ask for it because they are too stupid to know it’s possible.

“They don’t want to see the PFL champion, or ONE champion, against the UFC champion. Why wouldn’t you want to see who is the best in the world? In boxing, we want to see that.”

UFC CEO Dana White has repeatedly said he is not interested in co-promoting MMA fights, including a potential showdown between Jon Jones and Francis Ngannou. The PFL has shown keen interest in bringing the fight between Jones and Ngannou to a successful conclusion.

Malignaggi was a key figure in the build-up between Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather in 2017. After sparring footage between Malignaggi and McGregor went viral, the two former sparring partners ignited a heated feud that resulted in several near-fights during the global media tour.