De La Hoya On Zuffa Freezing Him Out Of Garcia-Benn

Oscar De La Hoya says Zuffa Boxing cannot block him from promoting Ryan Garcia's fight with Conor Benn.

The Golden Boy promoter told Ariel Helwani that he plans to attend fight week and handle promotional duties for Garcia, who remains under contract to Golden Boy despite the event being backed by Turki Alalshikh's Saudi venture and involving Zuffa Boxing through Benn's recent signing. De La Hoya was not present at the initial press conference announcing the bout, a detail he attributed to deliberate exclusion by rival promoters wary of his history with UFC president Dana White.

De La Hoya Plans Active Role Despite Zuffa Partnership

De La Hoya confirmed to Bad Left Hook that he intends to be front and center during fight week, spending two weeks on the ground to ensure Garcia receives proper support. He dismissed speculation that he might be kept away from White, saying organisers are trying to slip past him. "Don't be afraid," he said, per the outlet's story. He added that he and Garcia recently spoke and cleared the air after the fighter made critical comments on Helwani's show.

The promoter noted that ticket sales have already surpassed six million dollars, according to Alalshikh. Golden Boy's involvement remains intact despite Zuffa's role in the event through Benn, who signed with the new promotional entity earlier this year. De La Hoya said all parties need to work together to make the fight successful.

Garcia and Benn are expected to meet later this year in what would mark the American's first bout since his suspension for a positive test was resolved.

Reported via:

• Bad Left Hook — ‘Don’t be afraid’: Oscar De La Hoya says Zuffa can’t freeze him out of Ryan Garcia vs Conor Benn promotion