Vitor Belfort is set to have an exhibition boxing match vs legendary boxer Oscar De La Hoya.
For those wondering, this will take place on September 11th. This bout is under the Triller Fight Club organization which also showed Jake Paul vs Ben Askren amongst other fights. As a result, Triller has gained a reputation lately for creating novelty fights. However, Vitor Belfort seems genuinely excited about this fight and it will be the first time that he has fought in a boxing ring since 2006.
Here, he earned a first round KO against Josemario Neves and has spoken about returning to boxing throughout the years. This was often put on hold due to his successful MMA career where he became the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion and retired in 2018 with a record of 26-14.
It’s similar news for his opponent Oscar De La Hoya too, who last boxed 13 years ago. In that fight, he lost to Manny Pacquiao, leaving boxing with an impressive 39-6 record and an Olympic gold medal. Sadly though, since retiring his life has been plighted with substance abuse issues involving drugs and alcohol.
Interestingly though, De La Hoya could have potentially fought Georges St-Pierre in a boxing match earlier this year had Dana White not blocked the cross-promotional fight, according to GSP himself. For boxing and MMA fans, sadly it’s a case of what could have been.
Speaking on his upcoming fight, Belfort said. “I believe this fight with me and Oscar, this is the biggest fight ever. The reason why is Oscar is a legendary (Olympic) gold medalist, one of the best pound-for-pound that ever lived. He revolutionized the sport. If it wasn’t for Oscar, there wouldn’t be Mayweather. If it wasn’t for Vitor Belfort, Conor McGregor wouldn’t exist. So now the new generation will be educated on who these two guys are from Mexico and Brazil going to America. The land of the dreams. Oscar became an Olympic gold medalist. Vitor became the youngest (UFC) champion ever. This fight is about breaking records,” (h/t MMAjunkie.com).
With this in mind, Belfort seemed ready for the boxing match and was highly respectful towards De La Hoya as well as upcoming MMA stars. From a fan standpoint, this could make for an interesting match-up. However, it could also be very scrappy. With Belfort aged 44 and De La Hoya aged 48, you have to wonder what their cardio and sharpness will be like.
There is also the possibility that this match could be non-competitive. Recently, fans were disappointed to hear that Floyd Mayweather‘s draw against Logan Paul had certain rules which made it less of a spectacle. Hopefully, this won’t be the case for this one.
Vitor Belfort vs Oscar De La Hoya is on September 11th via Triller. What are your predictions for the fight?