Tony Bellew doesn't want to see Conor McGregor box again but he thinks a fight with Paulie Malignaggi will happen on St Patrick's Day next year.
In our interview with Bellew and Carl Froch in Las Vegas following the UFC star's 10th-round stoppage defeat to Floyd Mayweather in one of the most hyped fights of all time, neither man rated McGregor's ability as a boxer.
However, the Merseysider would not be surprised to see the Irishman try his hand at the sport again for another multi-million pound payday, with a clash against Malignaggi the most likely option.
The pair exchanged verbal insults in the lead up to the fight while leaked footage showed McGregor sending Malignaggi to the canvas in an infamous sparring session which prompted to the American to walk out of the training camp.
Sky Bet make McGregor is 6/4 to beat Malignaggi should they meet in the boxing ring while the former two-eight world champion is favourite at 1/2. The firm also have a 'who will McGregor box next' market and Malignaggi is the 2/5 favourite.
Bellew told us: "It's been an amazing event and I think it’s changed the demographic of how boxing will be promoted in the future so that's a good thing. As far as the actual fight – it wasn’t a fight. It's an event. But I will say Conor McGregor deserves an immense about of credit.
"This fight only went 10 rounds because Mayweather carried him. Floyd could have ended it in the first if he wanted to but he wanted to drag it out and make it a bit of a show.
"I feel a bit for McGregor but you can’t feel too much because he's just made $100 million! He's amazing in his chosen profession. He’s the best MMA fighter on the planet, pound-for-pound. To defeat the likes of Aldo and Alvarez the way he did and to come back from his loss to Nate Diaz the way he did was truly fantastic.
"He's a global phenomenon. His rise to the top in the speed and time he has done is unprecedented. He will be back and I'll look forward to seeing him again in an Octagon.
"But he’s not a boxer. I hope it will be the last time we see him in a boxing ring but I don’t think it will be.
"I think he will face Paulie Malignaggi probably on St Patrick’s Day in New York because it will be a mega event and probably make him somewhere in the region of $30million. He couldn’t earn that in five fights in the UFC."
Froch added: "I'm looking forward to seeing Conor McGregor back in the Octagon - I'm a massive fan and I think he’s a great fighter in his sport. But he can't box, unfortunately."
In the aforementioned 'who will McGregor box next' market, Sky Bet make Andre Berto 5/1 second favourite behind Malignaggi while Amir Khan is 7/1, Canelo Alvarez 10/1 and Kell Brook 16/1.
