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8 months ago
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UFC chief Dana White kept Hall of Famer Georges St-Pierre from boxing Oscar De La Hoya in 2021.
After his last UFC appearance - a middleweight title win over Michael Bisping - in 2017, the consensus MMA GOAT wanted to transition to boxing for a one-off fight with Golden Boy.
However, St-Pierre was still technically signed to the UFC. Additionally, White's bitter rivalry with De La Hoya did not help his case in booking the fight.
'It didn't happen because Dana White told me 'no,'' St-Pierre said on the Pound 4 Pound podcast. 'Dana White hates Oscar De La Hoya and my contract with the UFC, after you retire, you still have a few years. Depending on the contract.
'But my contract, the way it was made, I still had ties with the UFC up to, I'm not going to say the number of years because I don't want to be inaccurate. But I still had ties with the UFC.'
Dana White stopped UFC legend Georges St-Pierre from boxing Oscar De La Hoya in 2022
St-Pierre asked for permission to box De La Hoya years after his last UFC appearance in 2017
De La Hoya looked to return to action over a decade after losing to Manny Pacquiao in 2008
St-Pierre continued by sharing how White blatantly made his distaste towards De La Hoya known before asking him to do the super fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov.
'Dana when I asked for the permission, well I can't say it the way he said it to me. But he said 'F that guy, F that guy, blah blah blah, no, F that guy' It's alright. So that's why [it didn't happen]. Then he called me after, and said that he wanted me to fight Khabib,' St-Pierre said.
'But Khabib had already retired and I had already retired. So then he could say 'Oh he doesn't want to [fight]'.'
With St-Pierre unable to reach the dotted line, De La Hoya agreed to box another MMA legend in Vitor Belfort. The fight was announced, under Triller, for September 11, 2022, at Staples Center (Crypto.com Arena) in Los Angeles, California.
After turning down the boxing match, White asked St-Pierre to fight Khabib Nurmagomedov
De La Hoya was booked to fight MMA legend Vitor Belfort but withdrew due to COVID-19
Unfortunately, De La Hoya was hospitalized with COVID-19 and was forced to withdraw. Evander Holyfield stepped in on short notice and suffered a 1st-round knockout.
The boxing legend later said 'he dodged a bullet' by not fighting Belfort.
'Everything happens for a reason,' De La Hoya said on the MMA Hour. 'It didn't take place, unfortunately, but I'm glad I didn't fight this monster of a fighter because he's a big guy, he knows what he's doing, he's talented.'
'As old as we were, we still can throw punches. We saw it with Evander Holyfield, where he knocked him out, so I think I dodged a bullet there.'
English (US)