Oscar De La Hoya Enjoys Seeing UFC fighters Score bigger paydays in Boxing: ‘All I can say or do is laugh’
Legendary pugilist Oscar De La Hoya seems happy to squash his beef with Dana White, but that doesn’t mean he’ll ever see eye-to-eye with the UFC CEO when it comes to MMA fighters crossing over into the world of boxing.
White played a key role in the cross-promotional clash between Irish megastar Conor McGregor and Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather in 2017. Since then, he has stayed steered clear of booking any more crossover bouts, even opting to let former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou walk away from the promotion rather than help him test out his skills inside the squared circle.
That allowed Ngannou to find a new home with the Professional Fighters League, a promotion that immediately allowed ‘The Predator’ to branch out by accepting a fight with WBC heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury last year. Ngannou ultimately lost the bout via split decision, but after going toe-to-toe with ‘The Gypsy King’ for 10 rounds, fans were eager to see him back in the boxing ring sooner rather than later.
On Wednesday, The MMA Hour host Ariel Helwani announced that Ngannou will return to Riyadh in 2024 for a showdown with former unified heavyweight titleholder Anthony Joshua.
After ending his own iconic career more than 15 years ago, Oscar De La Hoya has still been a big name in the sport, promoting fights under his Golden Boy Promotions banner. And while he has often been at odds with fellow fight promoter Dana White, De La Hoya seems content to bury the hatchet so long as the UFC CEO stays in his lane.
“I have no beef with him whatsoever,” De La Hoya told MMA Mania’s Alex Behunin on Friday. “He’s in the MMA world, I’m in boxing. Now if he’s going to come into boxing that’s a whole different story. Then you’re coming into my world. Then we’ll hopefully sit down and talk, but in the meantime, I have nothing to say about him. I literally have nothing to say about him.”
De La Hoya Calls BS on Dana White’s claim that Fighters Aren’t Making More Money in Boxing
Perhaps the biggest obstacle in De La Hoya and White’s relationship today is their vastly different views on crossover fights.
“The only thing I have to say about that is I think I heard Dana White say something about, ‘These MMA fighters are not making more money in boxing.’ All I can say or do is laugh,” he added. “Like are you kidding me? Why do you think MMA fighters are going into boxing and crossing over for the payday?
“That’s the bottom line. And to test their skill, which is admirable because a MMA fighter going into a ring with an elite fighter not only takes balls but you have to believe in yourself and your skill. And that’s admirable. When Dana White’s saying they’re not making more money it’s bullsh*t. They’re making tons of money inside of the ring in boxing. That’s the bottom line. That’s why you’re seeing Joshua with Ngannou. These guys are warriors.
“When Dana White’s saying they’re not making more money it’s bullsh*t. They’re making tons of money inside of the ring in boxing. That’s the bottom line. That’s why you’re seeing Joshua with Ngannou. These guys are warriors.”
Though Francis Ngannou’s fight purse for his scrap with Tyson Fury has not been disclosed, reports indicate that he earned upwards of $10 million. Recently, Ngannou’s longtime coach Eric Nicksick revealed that the payout he received was the biggest of his career. “When I saw my Wells Fargo account that morning, it literally brought me to tears,” Nicksick told MMA Junkie. “That’s a true story; Literally brought me to tears because he changed my life.”
