Former boxing champion Paulie Malignaggi (36-8), now an announcer for Showtime, knew something was up the minute he walked into the UFC's new performance institute to square off for a second time with the promotion's lightweight champion.
The first time he'd sparred with Conor McGregor, who is preparing for a bout with boxing's greatest contemporary fighter Floyd Mayweather, things were quite a bit different. That session was about putting in work, a private, gritty affair where the few men in the gym had to leave their cell phones in a box to ensure no unauthorized video or pictures leaked out.