Paulie Malignaggi throwing in towel as Conor McGregor sparring partner

LAS VEGAS -- Retired boxer Paulie Malignaggi, hired to be a sparring partner for UFC star Conor McGregor, told ESPN he won't continue and likely will fly home after photos surfaced Thursday appearing to show McGregor in a favorable light in Tuesday's 12-round session.

McGregor, who is scheduled to face Floyd Mayweather (49-0, 26 KOs) in the boxing ring on Aug. 26 at T-Mobile Arena, had twice used Malignaggi, a former two-weight world champion, as a sparring partner."I wanted to be part of this event, but I didn't want to become the story, and that's what this has turned into," Malignaggi told ESPN by phone Thursday night. "I won't release any information about his game plan or what he's working on -- I wouldn't do that. But this has become a fiasco. It's a circus.

"And I do want that sparring video released. The UFC's PI definitely has that video. I understand it can't come out now, but Conor, if you have any balls, release what really happened."

On Wednesday, Malignaggi described Tuesday's session as having "a lot of violence." He also said he went into the session with a chip on his shoulder because McGregor invited a small audience to watch.

Since then, photos of the session have emerged online, showing McGregor favorably. The Irish star's personal photographer posted a shot of him landing a left uppercut.

Another shot by McGregor photographer Dave Fogarty shows Malignaggi falling backward on the canvas as McGregor stands over him. Malignaggi said the knockdown was actually a "pushdown."