Former UFC champion Vitor Belfort will abandon his beef with “The Real Tarzann” for a far more lucrative payday against “sweet science” icon Oscar De La Hoya, a boxing exhibition bout under the Triller Fight Club banner on Sept. 11 in Las Vegas.
“Triller’s plan is a full weekend takeover,” combat sports insider Mike Coppinger wrote on Twitter. “Versuz rap battle Friday, all-day concert festival Saturday and Sunday (Swizz Beatz & Timbaland overseeing concerts and Versuz).”
De La Hoya, who turned 48 last February, first retired from boxing after losing to fellow “sweet science” legend Manny Pacquiao back in 2008. Unfortunately for the Olympic gold medalist, his in-ring accomplishments have been overshadowed by his personal issues.
Belfort, 44, has not competed since a knockout loss to Lyoto Machida back in 2018.
Celebrity boxing bouts (along with freak-show fights) are all the rage these days now that Triller has proven old legends like Mike Tyson and social media stars like Jake Paul can bring in box office bucks, which is why Showtime Sports recently boarded the crazy train.
“Now they’re having the king of the knockout,” Belfort told MMA Fighting. “Who has the most knockouts in UFC history until today? There was a time they brought the real striker to the crossover. Now it’s coming, it’s happening. It’s about to happen.”
Expect more details on the De La Hoya vs. Belfort pay-per-view (PPV) card in the coming weeks.