Oscar De La Hoya Agrees To Boxing Exhibition Match With Vitor Belfort
Oscar De La Hoya is set to make his in-ring return after a thirteen year absence to face former UFC Light-Heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort in a exhibition boxing bout. MyMMANews has the story.
According to boxing insider Mike Coppinger of The Athletic “Oscar De La Hoya and former UFC champion Vitor Belfort have agreed to a @triller exhibition boxing match on Sept. 18, likely in Las Vegas.” Coppinger would later correct himself, stating the date was actually 11th September.
Sources: Oscar De La Hoya and former UFC champion Vitor Belfort have agreed to a @triller exhibition boxing match on Sept. 18, likely in Las Vegas. 12-ounce gloves. De La Hoya hasn’t competed at since 2008 loss to Manny Pacquiao. Belfort is tied for third-most finishes in UFC
— Mike Coppinger (@MikeCoppinger) June 17, 2021
This news comes after Belfort hounded De La Hoya on various YouTube interview platforms to get the fight signed. In an interview with IFL TV back in May, Vitor claimed “He’s scared, he doesn’t want to fight, he’s picking his opponents, if he fights GSP, I’m a one eighty five guy, so right now I’m two hundred pounds, I believe he is on two hundred pounds as well. He’s not looking to go one fifty, he can’t with the lifestyle he lives on, we know Oscar, so let’s go man, just sign the contract.”
As of right now, Oscar De La Hoya is yet to make an official statement on the bout, however, he joined Mike Tyson yesterday on his popular podcast ‘Hotboxin’ With Mike Tyson’ which is expected to be uploaded on YouTube soon. It is very unlikely that the pair didn’t discuss the bout, at least in passing, especially when you consider former two-weight UFC world champion Henry Cejudo co-hosted the episode.
Only time will tell whether the fight will be signed or not, however, it is a rare occurrence when Mike Coppinger’s sources aren’t correct.
