Oscar De La Hoya has once again gone after UFC CEO Dana White — and this time, he dragged Canelo Alvarez into the fire as well.
The comments came just days after Terence “Bud” Crawford pulled off a shocking upset, defeating Alvarez to claim the undisputed super middleweight crown. The fight headlined TKO Boxing’s debut event at Allegiant Stadium, which drew record viewership numbers and ranked among the three most-watched men’s title fights of the century.
De La Hoya tears into White and Canelo
While Dana White celebrated his first major event as a boxing promoter, De La Hoya was far from impressed. The longtime promoter reignited his rivalry with White, blasting both him and his former fighter, Canelo Alvarez.
“I promoted Canelo’s entire career and it was a huge fluff,” De La Hoya said.
“The only real fighters he’s faced were (Floyd) Mayweather, (Dmitry) Bivol and Crawford and they all toyed with him.”
He didn’t stop there, mocking White’s appearance and accusing him of dodging accountability when asked about his involvement in efforts to amend the Muhammad Ali Act.
“Dana White didn’t have his best week, his t-shirt shrank smaller every minute especially when he was questioned about his attempt to amend the Muhammad Ali Act… TKO needs it to change so they can f— fighters over,” De La Hoya continued.
According to the Golden Boy promoter, White even skipped much of the undercard on fight night.
“After this debacle, he decides to skip the undercard and shows up in the beginning of the main event and he’s just watching the UFC on his phone, the entire time. I wonder if he regrets abandoning the UFC for a sport that doesn’t want him… Dana, Canelo, f— you.”
De La Hoya and White’s war of words isn’t new. The two have been clashing in the media for years — often over fighter pay, promotional practices, and the future of boxing vs. MMA. Back in 2017, their rivalry escalated when White promoted Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor, a fight De La Hoya publicly opposed. Since then, they’ve traded insults at nearly every opportunity.
White hasn’t directly responded to De La Hoya’s latest tirade, but criticism is nothing new for the UFC boss. Over the past few weeks, he’s also pushed back on claims that the UFC is struggling with a lack of star power following the retirements and inactivity of names like Conor McGregor, Ronda Rousey, and Jon Jones.
White insists the promotion is thriving, pointing to record business growth and the landmark $7.7 billion TV deal set to reshape the UFC’s broadcast future.
