Tag: Oscar De La Hoya

Georges St-Pierre reveals Dana White nixed boxing fight with Oscar De La Hoya: ‘It didn’t happen because he hates him’

Georges St-Pierre reveals Dana White nixed him fighting Oscar De La Hoya he hates himFormer UFC welterweight and middleweight champion Georges St-Pierre, reveals he nearly boxed Oscar De La Hoya a few years…

Georges St-Pierre reveals Dana White nixed him fighting Oscar De La Hoya he hates him

Former UFC welterweight and middleweight champion Georges St-Pierre, reveals he nearly boxed Oscar De La Hoya a few years ago.

St-Pierre last competed in 2017 after he became the middleweight champion with a submission win over Michael Bisping. Due to health reasons, he retired, but there were talks of him coming out of retirement to face Khabib Nurmagomedov but that didn’t happen.

Georges St Pierre

Along with that, Georges St-Pierre says he had agreed to box Oscar De La Hoya but UFC CEO Dana White shut the fight down.

“It did not happen because, Dana White told me, Dana White hates Oscar De La Hoya. My contract, after you retire, you still have a few years, depending on the contract, my contract the way it was made, I still had ties with the UFC. I still had tied with UFC, when I asked Dana for permission he was like ‘F that guy’. That’s why, and then he called me after, he said he wanted me to fight Khabib, but Khabib already retired and I already retired,” St-Pierre said on the Pound 4 Pound podcast.

Oscar De La Hoya
OXON HILL, MD – MAY 19: Oscar De La Hoya looks on after the WBC featherweight title bout between Gary Russell Jr. and Joseph Diaz Jr. on May 19, 2018 in Oxon Hill, Maryland. Russell won by unanimous decision. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)

It is interesting that St-Pierre was even in talks to box Oscar De La Hoya as the Canadian has no experience with boxing. But, had the fight happen, it would have been a highly-anticipated bout and one many fans would have been excited for.

Georges St-Pierre claims Dana White originally thought Oscar De La Hoya would destroy him

This isn’t the first time Georges St-Pierre talked about a potential matchup with Oscar De La Hoya.

However, back in 2021, St-Pierre says originally White shut it down because he thought he would get destroyed by the boxer.

Dana White confirms plans to announce UFC 300 main event during UFC 298 press conference

“At first he says to me that the reason why he did not want it is because he thought that Oscar would basically destroy me in a boxing match. And I had some good arguments — I told him that I believe Oscar has more mileage than I do, he’s no longer in his prime, I stayed busy the whole time, I’m still in great shape, I’m going to be very well prepared and I’m taking this fight very seriously.”

“If I do it, because it’s my name — my image is attached to it — I will do it 100 percent. And I told Dana, I said, ‘If there’s one MMA fighter that go to boxing and look good in this situation, it would be me,’” St-Pierre said to The MMA Hour back in 2021.

Ultimately, St-Pierre is now fine in retirement and it looks like he won’t fight again.

Oscar De La Hoya challenges UFC CEO Dana White to fight in a potential co-main event with Garcia vs O’Malley

Oscar De La HoyaIf Ryan Garcia gets to fight Sean O’Malley inside the Octagon, Oscar De La Hoya hopes to snag a…

Oscar De La Hoya

If Ryan Garcia gets to fight Sean O’Malley inside the Octagon, Oscar De La Hoya hopes to snag a spot on the card against Dana White.

During Monday’s episode of The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Garcia called out the reigning UFC bantamweight champion, claiming that he would hand ‘Sugar’ an ass-whooping inside the Octagon if given the opportunity. Soon after, De La Hoya — Garcia’s promoter — stepped into the studio and angled for an opportunity to fight the UFC CEO in some kind of a potential boxing vs. MMA supercard.

“I would actually entertain that because Ryan can fight in the main event and maybe I can [fight] Dana in the co-main” De La Hoya said when speaking about Garcia’s challenge to O’Malley.

The feud between Dana White and Oscar De La Hoya dates back to 2017 when the UFC boss was in the middle of co-promoting Conor McGregor’s clash with Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather. De La Hoya said the bout was “disrespecting the sport of boxing,” which clearly didn’t sit well with White. In 2021, White called De La Hoya a “crackhead” on X (then Twitter) and accused him of using COVID as an excuse to bow out of a boxing match with MMA legend Vitor Belfort.

Since then, De La Hoya has extended an olive branch to White, hoping that they could eventually squash their long-standing rivalry. Asked about his relationship with the UFC CEO, ‘The Golden Boy’ told Helwani:

“We’re cool. It’s all good. Well, I don’t know if we’re cool. I haven’t talked to the guy. I’m good, but that doesn’t mean we can’t go at it.”

Dana White echoed the same “we’re cool” sentiment in 2022 but made it clear that the two would never be friends again.

“I feel like De La Hoya’s apology was sincere, but there’s no way that he and I can ever be friends again,” White said during a fan Q&A with GQ Sports. “He and I were actually friends. I used to go to his fights. I used to watch his fights. I used to promote his fights. That guy did way too much damage for us to ever be friends again. I appreciate his apology. I get it. We’re cool, but we’re never going to be that cool” (h/t Bleacher Report).

Oscar De La Hoya Enjoys Seeing UFC fighters Score bigger paydays in Boxing: ‘All I can say or do is laugh’

Oscar De La HoyaLegendary pugilist Oscar De La Hoya seems happy to squash his beef with Dana White, but that doesn’t mean…

Oscar De La Hoya

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.”

Boxing legend Oscar De La Hoya reveals he did everything possible to cover up ‘Embarrassing’ lingerie photos

De La HoyaOscar De La Hoya revealed that he and his team paid a photographic forensics expert to claim that his scandalous lingerie pictures were fake. It’s been more than 15 years since a series of photos featuring legendary boxer Oscar De La Hoya dressed in drag hit the web, but new details are regularly coming out […]

De La Hoya

Oscar De La Hoya revealed that he and his team paid a photographic forensics expert to claim that his scandalous lingerie pictures were fake.

It’s been more than 15 years since a series of photos featuring legendary boxer Oscar De La Hoya dressed in drag hit the web, but new details are regularly coming out about the incident courtesy of the man himself. Appearing on BET’s Breakfast Club podcast, ‘The Golden Boy’ revealed that he was understandably embarrassed when the photos were released to the public, but felt that he had the resources to simply make it all go away.

“Yeah, it was obviously [embarrassing] and I was in pain because it happened so fast, but I knew in the back of my head, I have enough power and money to make it disappear,” De La Hoya said. “I have people who are going to cover it up.”

Oscar De La Hoya previously revealed that he had been blackmailed for millions of dollars by an anonymous source after being made aware that the pictures existed. He paid the money as requested, but much to his chagrin, the photos still made it into the tabloids. In response, De La Hoya opted to simply deny the photos were legit, going so far as to pay an expert to falsely sign off on their claim that the pictures were manufactured.

“It still came out and I remember saying, ‘Sh*t, okay. My life is over.’ Like, ‘The Golden Boy’ is tarnished. It’s over. But then this machine came out, swept it all up, and we even got a forensic… I don’t know what they call them, but he came out and said, some expert with photos and photoshopping and this and that, and he even said, ‘You know what, these are not real.’ We even did that.”

After Years of Denying the Validity of the Photos, Oscar De La Hoya Finally Relented

Roughly five years after the photo came out, Oscar De La Hoya finally conceded, confirming that the images were real and were the result of a hard night of partying that he simply does not remember.

“I’m sure we’ve all done something here and there behind closed doors. Now, today I wish I would have known about it because I was probably sedated when that happened because I don’t remember sh*t.”

He continued, “Honestly, I don’t remember. They are real. It was me, but f*ck. I don’t remember.”

By now, the infamous images are nothing more than a blip in boxing history, and can likely be summed up by a classic quote from heavyweight boxing icon Mike Tyson. “We all do dumb sh*t when we’re f*cked up.”

Ariel Helwani attempts to be voice of reason amid rising tension between Ryan Garcia and Oscar De La Hoya

HelwaniThe MMA Hour host Ariel Helwani attempted to be the voice of reason as Ryan Garcia and boxing legend Oscar De La Hoya engaged in a war of words on social media. Garcia has been incredibly critical of his now-former team following his seventh-round TKO loss to Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis in April. Garcia attended the […]

Helwani

The MMA Hour host Ariel Helwani attempted to be the voice of reason as Ryan Garcia and boxing legend Oscar De La Hoya engaged in a war of words on social media.

Garcia has been incredibly critical of his now-former team following his seventh-round TKO loss to Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis in April. Garcia attended the post-fight press event without members of his coaching staff and even revealed that a double agent in his camp had been feeding information to Davis prior to their clash at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. As a result, Garcia separated from coach Joe Goossen and has remained openly critical of his team who he alleges walked away from him following the loss to Davis.

“I lost, I’ve seen everybody leave me, and then I just gotta see who’s really there for me,” Garcia told fitness influencer, Bradley Martyn. “After the fight, nobody was there for me, like, my team, but just didn’t come to the press conference and go do nothing, you know what I mean? I was left with somebody betrayed me in camp, they weren’t trying to look out for me after the fight. It was like, I was left with that. It was the worst, and ‘Tank’s team really care about me more than my own team.”

More than two months removed from suffering his first career defeat, Ryan Garcia has remained vocal, much to the chagrin of boxing legend and Golden Boy Promotions founder Oscar De La Hoya. Taking to Twitter, De La Hoya ripped into Garcia, telling him to take responsibility for the loss and the consequences that followed.

Oscar De La Hoya Has Heard Enough of Ryan Garcia’s Complaints, Ariel Helwani Attempts to Intervene

“Wtf @RyanGarcia it’s been almost two months and youre still crying about the post presser? The blame for your loss is on YOU and your “advisor” Lupe,” De La Hoya tweeted. “He is the only one who pushed you to accept that INSANE rehydration clause and THAT is the reason you lost. Man up. Own that.”

De La Hoya wasn’t quite done, adding a follow-up Tweet that read, “Also, you keep saying “tanks team offered more support for you” blah blah blah. Bro they SET YOU UP TO LOSE with that rehydration clause and most importantly…AL HAYMON DIDNT EVEN SHOW UP THE ENTIRE WEEK. Actually, he NEVER shows up. How’s that for “support”???”

The very public spat prompted Ariel Helwani to step in as the voice of reason, suggesting the two parties take their differences and discuss them behind closed doors like professionals.

“Horrible look to be publicly fighting with your biggest star,” Helwani tweeted in response. “Regardless of who’s wrong or right, keep this in house.”

Ryan Garcia is now 23-1 following the loss to ‘Tank’ Davis. Garcia later admitted that the grueling weight cut matched with the hydration clause in the fight contract ultimately led to him being less than 100% going into the contest. Garcia is now eyeing a potential move to super lightweight in an effort to avoid the exhaust cut going forward.

Boxing icon Oscar De La Hoya reveals he was blackmailed for million dollars over infamous lingerie pics

Oscar De La HoyaOscar De La Hoya shared some shocking details regarding a series of controversial pictures showing the boxing icon dressed in drag. It’s been nearly 15 years since multiple pictures made their way online showing the ‘Golden Boy’ posing in a series of scantily clad photos while in women’s lingerie. Downright denying the pictures for years, […]

Oscar De La Hoya

Oscar De La Hoya shared some shocking details regarding a series of controversial pictures showing the boxing icon dressed in drag.

It’s been nearly 15 years since multiple pictures made their way online showing the ‘Golden Boy’ posing in a series of scantily clad photos while in women’s lingerie. Downright denying the pictures for years, De La Hoya eventually owned up to participating in the amateur modeling showcase. In an exclusive interview with BigBoyTV on YouTube, the Olympic gold medalist opened up about the infamous evening and what led to the picture hitting newsstands.

“It’s the truth. I accept it. I now accept it. I don’t have to deny it anymore,” De La Hoya said. “All these years I denied it. ‘No, that’s not me. Wait, I didn’t wear those f*cking women’s clothes. I didn’t f*cking drink that.’

“Yeah, that was me. I had one of these binges. Drunk nights and I guess this girl told me where the f*cking clothes. Alright, f*ck. What man wouldn’t? Probably two hot girls. F*ck, I mean, I’m f*cking blasted.

De La Hoya revealed that he had been partying fairly hard with two Russian women when they coaxed him into putting on and modeling their lingerie. ‘Golden Boy’ also suggested that he may have been drugged as he does not remember anything about that evening.

“Some freakin’ hot Russian. There was actually two of them. It was embarrassing,” De La Hoya continued. “I don’t remember it because I think I was, what do you call it? Roofied. So I don’t remember it.”

Oscar De La Hoya Reveals That He Was Blackmailed for a Million Dollars

In another crazy turn of events, Oscar De La Hoya revealed that the very next day he had received a call from his lawyers who informed him that he was being blackmailed with the photos.

“The next morning, I wake up in bed. This was in New York. I wake up in bed and they’re gone. So then I get a phone call from my lawyer here in L.A. and he tells me, ‘Dude, what’s going on?’ Some Russians called me that they wanted a million dollars for pictures. I’m like, ‘Oh f*ck, what the f*ck happened? What did I do?’ I don’t remember. I don’t even know I put those clothes on. So they fly right away from L.A. to New York. So the next day we have a meeting. ‘Yeah, so they’re asking for a million dollars. Alright, well give it to them.’

“I mean, give it to them because my f*cking image is squeaky clean and I can’t mess with it. People can’t know. Give it to them. So they had, and I’m not gonna say the name of the individual, my lawyer at the time. I don’t want to ruin his career, but he had to go on top of a rooftop where there was a pool in New York. Take off all his clothes, jump in the pool, and then the Russian jumped in the pool and they negotiated right there inside the pool just to make sure they didn’t have wires or anything.

“So they negotiated a million dollars. ‘Yeah, pay them. Pay them whatever.’ So we paid them and boom, they still released the pictures. So what are you going to do? You can’t do anything about it.”

After everything was said and done, De La Hoya says that he finally found peace by coming clean. By being honest with himself and the public, the weight of those infamous snapshots suddenly lifted, allowing him to finally move on.

“I realized it just six months ago that I can recover from it when I was honest with myself. When I was truthful. When I can now look at myself in the mirror and say, ‘Yeah, you’ve committed so many mistakes, but you’ve got to own up to it. You have to be honest.’ That’s it. Honesty will set you free.”