Dana White‘s entry into boxing was one of the biggest announcements in the world of combat sports. After spending over two decades making UFC a billion-dollar business, White wants to try his luck in boxing. This has attracted a variety of reactions from fight fans and his future competitors and this includes his old rival, Oscar De La Hoya.
The rivalry between White and De La Hoya goes way back and is quite famous in the combat sports community. During a recent interview, White claimed that he’s looking forward to collaborating with promoters like Frank Warren and Eddie Hearn with his boxing venture. The UFC CEO also made sure to indirectly mention that he won’t work with his arch-nemesis Oscar De La Hoya. The former boxing champion made sure to reply back to White with a sly jibe.
Oh my gosh, Dana! You don’t want to work with me? I guess I won’t be invited to your circle jerk with Eddie. You realize you will have to pay boxers real money if want to be in our sport, right?
Oscar De La Hoya via Instagram
Dana White, in a recent interview, blasted Bob Arum for allegedly sucking money from boxers and not giving it back to the sport. De La Hoya in his video made sure to warn White for his comments regarding Arum. Previously this rivalry was taking place on social media but with White entering boxing, it has turned into a proper business competition.
Teddy Atlas and other boxing experts have extended a warm welcome to White in the boxing community. The well-known coach believes that White can save boxing, which is in danger of dying. Legendary boxer Mike Tyson expressed his approval of the idea and said that White will make sure boxing remains entertaining in the future.
Dana White sarcastically mocks Oscar De La Hoya’s legacy
Oscar De La Hoya and Dana White’s animosity began in 2018 when De La Hoya criticized the UFC’s pay structure. He advocated a boxing bout between Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz. White retaliated by labeling De La Hoya ‘a cokehead’ and accusing him of abusing elderly fighters. De La Hoya, in response, challenged White to a fight and continued to criticize his business dealings.
Recently, Dana White held UFC Noche at the iconic Sphere where he paid tribute to the greats of Mexican combat sports history. Despite his rivalry with De La Hoya, White didn’t cut him off from the list. However, he made sure to mock the Mexican with a sneaky comment.
He’s an a**hole, but you can’t deny what he did. I mean, the guy, you know what I mean? He’s a f**king lunatic, but he was a bad boy in his day…before he got his fake abs
Dana White via Noche UFC post-fight presser
Noche UFC was a massive success for UFC and was able to break the all-time gate record in UFC history. It was just another successful event in White’s dream 2024 run with back-to-back mega-events. Given the momentum, it would be interesting to see how Will White does with his boxing venture.
