Oscar De La Hoya and Dana White could face off next weekend in what promises to be an intriguing showdown between the two combat sports moguls.
The feud between the boxing legend and UFC president has been ongoing ever since De La Hoya publicly criticized the Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor fight in 2017. Over the past seven years, their rivalry has been marked by numerous personal jabs and insults. However, De La Hoya seems ready to set aside his differences with White for now.
Currently, De La Hoya is focused on criticizing Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez. The former promoter of Canelo has taken every opportunity to undermine the boxing star online since their relationship soured in 2020, culminating in a lawsuit from Canelo against De La Hoya and DAZN for breach of contract.
Canelo is scheduled to fight Edgar Berlanga in Las Vegas on September 14. Coincidentally, White will host a £15 million UFC event at the Sphere on the same date, which he has touted as the ‘greatest live sporting event of all time.’
Faced with the choice between supporting one of his rivals or another, De La Hoya has chosen to back the UFC event. He took to Instagram to voice his disdain for Canelo’s upcoming bout, calling it a “snoozefest” and criticizing the high pay-per-view price and ticket costs.
De La Hoya stated, “We are a week away from the boxing match nobody asked for and the UFC event everybody will be watching. Canelo is fighting Berlanga, another snoozefest. They’re trying to sell a PPV for $90 at a $500 minimum in person. It’s just robbery at this point to pay for another lame Canelo fight that always goes the distance against a sub-par opponent.”
In contrast, De La Hoya expressed his excitement about attending the UFC event, saying, “I love the sport of boxing more than anything and I will be watching matches anywhere, anytime—even if it’s a simple sparring session or two bums in the street. So, the idea that I’m choosing to attend the UFC and support Dana White instead of Canelo tells you everything you need to know.”
De La Hoya concluded his remarks with a playful jab at Dana White, who has recently undergone a significant body transformation. He quipped, “Dana, I can’t wait to see you next Saturday, buddy. I see you got the same abs surgery I got. I always knew you wanted to be like me, bro. It will be great to hang out with you face to face.”
