Oscar De La Hoya Questions Ryan Garcia's Future with Dana White and Zuffa Boxing

Oscar De La Hoya Picks Sides in Boxing's Public Feud

Oscar De La Hoya has voiced his opinion on the ongoing clash between Eddie Hearn and Dana White, siding with Hearn amid their public sparring over UFC's involvement in the upcoming Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua bout set for December 11.

"I am Team Eddie right now, because he's cooking Dana," De La Hoya told Uncrowned's The Ariel Helwani Show.

He described the back-and-forth as some of the most entertaining moments in boxing recently, while expressing amusement at Hearn's approach and character.

"It's the funniest thing I've ever seen. These guys just don't stop. Eddie is just funny and harmless. That's why Eddie and I get along now. We had our differences, but he knows exactly what he has to do for his fighters and is a promoter," De La Hoya said.

For the time being, De La Hoya is content watching from the sidelines, gathering information and enjoying the spectacle.

Criticism of Dana White and Zuffa Boxing

The former champion's view of Dana White and his company, Zuffa Boxing, is far less complimentary. Despite White's insistence that fans should judge Zuffa Boxing by the end of 2026, De La Hoya has already formed a harsh verdict.

"If I was a teacher, they'd be getting an F," De La Hoya stated bluntly.

He accused them of merely renting fighters rather than developing champions or building careers from the ground up.

"They don't know how to build champions or fighters from scratch. This sport requires emotional investment, time, and personal connection," he said. "Dana doesn't want to know the fighters personally. It's all about numbers and shareholders. Boxing is more personal; you have to care about the fighters' lives and make sure they are treated right."

De La Hoya criticized the impersonal manner in which Zuffa Boxing released former WBC light heavyweight champ Oleksandr Gvozdyk via email in April after only one fight with the promotion.

Exclusion from Ryan Garcia's Fight Promotion

De La Hoya’s dissatisfaction deepened following his absence from the promotion and fight night of Ryan Garcia’s recent bout against Conor Benn, co-promoted by Zuffa Boxing and Golden Boy Promotions. Garcia is De La Hoya’s top client, yet De La Hoya was noticeably missing from the event.

"I didn't have my ringside tickets where I was contractually supposed to sit," De La Hoya explained. "The event was great for Ryan; he had a fantastic knockout. I'm happy for him, but being kept out like that—oooh."

He intends to address this exclusion in a future social media episode called Clap-Back Thursday but claims White was not responsible.

"Dana has no say whatsoever. He doesn’t have any pull here. I can’t talk about it until legal issues clear up. Once my muzzle is off, I can't wait to tell the truth," De La Hoya revealed.

Despite Garcia's disappointment over De La Hoya’s absence, the two have since communicated and remain on good terms.

Uncertainty Over Ryan Garcia’s Next Moves

Garcia has one fight left on his contract with Golden Boy, though some sources indicate another bout remains on his DAZN deal. De La Hoya hopes to keep working with Garcia but acknowledges the boxer has expressed doubts about renewing his contract.

When it comes to Garcia’s potential future with Dana White, De La Hoya is skeptical.

"I don’t think he’ll go with Zuffa. That’s not a good fit for him," he said.

De La Hoya plans to meet with Garcia soon to discuss his next fight and already has a couple of ideal opponents in mind.

• Devin Haney
• Teofimo Lopez

He believes these matchups would be perfect for Garcia, who is currently competing at an elite level and wants to prove himself against the best.

"Ryan has a competitive spirit where he wants to fight the very best and show the world he's the best. A fight with Teofimo or Devin Haney is exactly what he needs," De La Hoya said.

What remains unclear is whether De La Hoya will continue promoting Garcia beyond their current agreement.