One of many major talking points that occurred during the fight circus of Floyd Mayweather vs Conor McGregor focused on the Irishman's former sparring partner Paulie Malignaggi.

The UFC fighter had enlisted the former two-weight world champion boxer as the man to help prepare him for the transition from the octagon to the boxing ring.

Bad blood ensued between the two men, as footage emerged of Malignaggi allegedly being knocked down by McGregor in a sparring session.

Since then, a war of words took place between the two, with Malignaggi provoking McGregor by siding with Mayweather pre-fight, and stating that the whole sparring footage should be released for all the public to see, saying he was pushed not knocked down.

Notorious would go on to lose in the eventual mismatch between Floyd Mayweather and himself, and many observers have assumed that due to the tension he has with Malignaggi, this would lead to a potential bout in the future. 

The bookmakers have already pounced on this idea, installing Malignaggi as 8/13 favourite, meaning McGregor would have to overcome odds of 6/4 to come out victorious in any bout.

The Irishman has no shortage of potential opponents back in the familiar surroundings of UFC, with names like Tony Ferguson, Kevin Lee, and Khabib Nurmagomedov all in the mix.

If McGregor's ambition is to remain in boxing after his first foray into the sport, it is clear that there would be no chance in any rematch with Mayweather, who has said several times he would not return for any fight.

With the backstory already in place, there would be no need to manufacture any animosity or ill feeling between McGregor and Malignaggi, if terms on a fight could be agreed, but whether this is the right move for the Irishman's second fight is up for debate.

Many stated that McGregor was outclassed in the ring by Mayweather, but a semi-retired Malignaggi, who has been defeated several times before and more used to commentating these days, would not be in the same league of competition as unbeaten Mayweather was.

The fact that Malignaggi is a former two-weight world champion cannot be ignored, and if the fight were to come off, it would be undoubtedly closer than McGregor's first appearance in a boxing ring.