Conor McGregor steps up his preparations for Floyd Mayweather fight as he spars with Paulie Malignaggi

Malignaggi is a former two-weight world champion and previously threatened to 'knock McGregor's beard off', but the Irishman seems more preoccupied with the brand of his shorts

Conor McGregor is stepping up his preparations ahead of his professional boxing debut against Floyd Mayweather on August 26. And the latest series of images shared by the Irishman on his social media feeds show that he’s very much doing things his own way.

To help him prepare for his fight against Mayweather, which he is widely expected to lose, McGregor has enlisted the help of former two-weight world champion Paulie Malignaggi, who has previously held the IBF light welterweight and WBA welterweight titles.

Malignaggi agreed to spar with McGregor despite being a vocal critic of the Irishman when he announced that he would be putting his MMA career on hold to box Mayweather, and joined his training camp this week.

It has been rumoured that Malignaggi has signed a confidentiality agreement while sparring with McGregor, after the South African boxer Chris van Heerden leaked a less than flattering video of the UFC star in action.

But that hasn’t stopped McGregor sharing pictures from his training camp.

And one image showing him taking on Malignaggi with his hands behind his back, in the style of the legendary Roy Jones Jr.

“They say I’ve got no hands”, is the accompanying caption.

McGregor certainly made sure he looked as stylish as possible for his sparring session with Malignaggi, stepping into the ring wearing a £240 pair of Gucci nylon swimshorts. Unsurprisingly, Gucci’s website sold out of the shorts quickly after.

It didn't take long for the shorts to sell out on Gucci's website (Gucci)

Malignagg was one of McGregor’s fiercest critics when he first obtained a boxing licence, back in February. He warned McGregor to “stay in his lane” and also told him that “you will soon be apologizing for everything you have been trying to do to get into boxing.”

But the two men have since buried the hatchet and earlier this week the American told The MMA Hour podcast that he was hoping to pass on some technical expertise to the Irishman.

“I wouldn't say I'm going there to train him but I might be able to give him some technical titbits,” he said.

“I think Conor has a very capable training team, he has a team that understands him inside and outside the Octagon.

“I'll be going there to spar and if I see anything then of course I'll share my views.”

Further reading...

• The inside story of how trash-talking turned into a super-fight
• McGregor says he won verbal war with Mayweather despite racism claims
• Mayweather vs McGregor world tour comes to an end in London
• Everything you need to know about Floyd Mayweather vs Conor McGregor