Dana White isn’t exactly rolling out the red carpet for Oscar De La Hoya.
In a recent Instagram video, De La Hoya continued his rivalry with boxing star Canelo Alvarez while stating that he plans to attend UFC 306 at Sphere in Las Vegas this Saturday. The event runs the same evening as Alvarez’s upcoming bout with Edgar Berlanga, which takes place at T-Mobile Arena just 10 minutes up the road.
De La Hoya, the Golden Boy Promotions founder who has had a long-running feud with Alvarez, called the champion’s bout with Berlanga a “snoozefest” on paper and added, “It’s just robbery at this point.” He then announced that he is choosing the UFC over boxing this weekend.
“I’ll actually be attending at the UFC event at the Sphere instead,” De La Hoya said. “Now, I love the sport of boxing more than anything. I will be watching boxing matches anywhere and anytime. Even if it’s a simple sparring session or two bums fighting in the street.
“So the idea I’m choosing to attend the UFC and support Dana White instead of Canelo tells you everything you need to know.”
De La Hoya and White have hardly been the best of friends over the years, with the two frequently butting heads in public. As recently as 2022, White said that he was doubtful that he and De La Hoya “can ever be friends again.”
In an interview with Grind City Media, White was asked if he’d heard about De La Hoya potentially attending UFC 306. He answered that he was aware of the clip, but that as far as he knows, his team isn’t making any special preparations for the boxing legend’s arrival.
“I don’t know where he’s getting his tickets from, but he definitely isn’t getting them from me,” White said. “I don’t know if he’s coming with [Turki Alalshikh] or what his deal is, but yeah, I saw it.
“It’s him trying to shit on Canelo, and I said it a million times, I respect Canelo. I like Canelo. Met him, he’s a nice guy. I’m saying that that night, we’re talking about the history of Mexico and the history of the people and their traditions and the impact that they’ve had on combat sports. Somebody said to me, ‘So you’ll be celebrating Canelo that night?’ Yes, we are. Canelo is a big part, he’s a big part of the night. Julio Cesar Chavez, Salvador Sanchez, how are you going to do all the baddest dudes that have ever come out of Mexico and not talk about Canelo too?”
