De La Hoya Warns Boxers Over Zuffa’s Massive Paydays

Oscar De La Hoya isn't holding back his feelings about Zuffa Boxing, warning fighters that the promotion's high-paying offers are nothing more than a temporary illusion.

The Golden Boy Promotions founder took to Instagram to issue a scathing critique of the Dana White-led venture, comparing Zuffa's aggressive business tactics to ancient mythology.

“They are overpaying a few boxers to make it seem like this big money will continue, but it won’t. Once they monopolize the sport like they want to, Zuffa will pay fighters peanuts, exactly like the UFC. It’s the same model,” De La Hoya said

De La Hoya argues that Zuffa is intentionally offering lucrative, short-term paydays to marquee stars to build instant credibility and entice younger talent to sign. A major point of contention for De La Hoya is the structure of Zuffa's fighter agreements.

Oscar pointed to high-profile signings—such as Shakur Stevenson and Conor Benn—entering one- or two-fight deals rather than committing to traditional long-term promotional contracts.

According to De La Hoya, the end goal for TKO and Zuffa Boxing is to reshape the regulatory landscape by altering the Muhammad Ali Act. Doing so would allow the promotion to operate as a centralized, self-contained league—complete with its own internal rules, rankings, and proprietary championship belts.

De La Hoya cautions that while today's top names are enjoying massive paychecks, the long-term financial landscape for up-and-coming boxers under a centralized Zuffa model will look vastly different once market control is established.