During his latest "Thursday Reprimand" segment, De La Hoya didn't pull any punches when discussing White's potential foray into boxing alongside Turki Alalshikh, the driving force behind 'Riyadh Season' super fights.
The six-division world champion and influential boxing promoter argued that the UFC's controversial pay scale won't work in the boxing world. He pointed to leaked TKO Boxing fighter salaries as evidence, contrasting them with the multimillion-dollar prizes earned by elite boxing stars like Canelo Alvarez and Ryan Garcia.
"You can't run a boxing organization without fighters. No fighter is going to fight for these pennies. Are you telling me that the Canelos and the Ryans of this world are going to accept this kind of pay cut?"
De La Hoya explained that boxing's decentralized structure allows fighters to earn more by negotiating with multiple promoters and networks. He criticized the UFC's matchmaking model, highlighting issues such as lack of contractual negotiations for fighters, prospects fighting only once or twice a year, and fighters being forced to survive on minimum wage.
The Golden Boy CEO also took aim at the UFC's tendency to put fighters in tough bouts, leading to shorter careers. He argued that this approach won't fly in the boxing world, where top talents expect better treatment and higher compensation.
White has long hinted at moving into boxing. He was involved in the Mayweather vs McGregor fight in 2017 and attempted to launch 'Zuffa Boxing' in 2019, which didn't pan out.
Despite his harsh criticism, De La Hoya left the door open for future collaborations with White in boxing. He said, "Will I work with Dana in the future if he's in boxing? Sure, because 80 percent of the people I deal with in boxing are crooks anyway."
If White proceeds with his boxing plans, we can expect more criticism from traditional promoters. A potential bidding war for the best talent might be on the horizon. Meanwhile, De La Hoya's focus remains on filling DAZN's schedule with star-studded fights.