Golden Boy sends C&D to Zuffa over Ryan Garcia fight plans

Golden Boy Promotions has issued a cease-and-desist letter to Zuffa Boxing and TKO Group over what it describes as unauthorized negotiations involving WBC welterweight champion Ryan Garcia.

The letter, obtained by ESPN, alleges that Zuffa attempted to arrange a Garcia-Conor Benn bout for September 12, 2026, in Las Vegas without Golden Boy's approval. Garcia announced the matchup during an appearance on The Tonight Show last month, though sources told ESPN no contract had been signed at that point.

Golden Boy claims co-promotional rights and DAZN exclusivity

Golden Boy maintains it holds co-promotional rights to Garcia's fights and that all bouts must air on DAZN under existing agreements. "Golden Boy has not approved of or agreed to the terms of any such bout," the letter states, per ESPN's Andreas Hale. "In fact, Golden Boy has not even been informed of the terms of any such bout, nor has Golden Boy been involved in the negotiation of any such bout."

Oscar De La Hoya told ESPN he remains open to working with Zuffa to make the fight happen. "I've said time and time again that I'm willing to work with anyone, including Dana White and Zuffa Boxing, to make the biggest fights possible," De La Hoya said. "But the reality is that Golden Boy holds co-promotional rights to Ryan's bouts, and to this point, we have not been included in any discussions regarding this event."

The letter further claims Garcia's promotional entity, King Ryan Enterprises, cannot finalize deals without Golden Boy's consent. Zuffa Boxing did not respond to ESPN's request for comment. The Sept. 12 date remains unconfirmed pending resolution of the promotional dispute.

Source: espn.com