OSCAR DE LA HOYA’S comeback fight has been moved to September with Evander Holyfield making his own sensational return a month before.
De La Hoya, who retired in 2008 after a battering from Manny Pacquiao, announced in March that he would return to the ring.
It was initially set for July, but social media platform Triller – which is promoting the boxing legend – has now been forced to delay the event.
They have moved it by two months, with an opponent also yet to be confirmed.
The brains behind Triller’s ‘Fight Club’, film producer Ryan Kavanaugh, had been in talks for UFC legend Georges St-Pierre, 39, to fight De La Hoya, 48.
But he claimed on Instagram that UFC president Dana White had BLOCKED GSP from making the boxing switch.
That is despite St-Pierre announcing his retirement in 2019, having not fought since 2017.
But it would indicate he is technically still under UFC contract and would need their permission to make the move.
The UFC allowed Ben Askren, 36, who retired in 2019, to face YouTuber Jake Paul, 24, but he was knocked out in the first round.
Paul has since campaigned to fight another UFC star, and has been called out by ex-champions Daniel Cormier, 42, and Tyron Woodley, 39.
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But White recently made it clear he will not give anyone under contract permission to box the internet sensation.
He told ESPN: “First of all, I would never do business with those guys, just no. No, this is not what we do.
“I’m not gonna f***ing loan them a guy for f**ing what? There’s no way.
“You got plenty of f***ing goofballs out there that you can muster up to get in there and play these games that these guys are playing.
“Yeah, I’m not your guy.”
With St-Pierre out of the question, it appears De La Hoya will be made to wait for his first fight in 13 years.
Meanwhile Evander Holyfield, 58, who last fought ten years ago, will return in an exhibition in August.
He faces Kevin McBride, 48, who is most known for his 2005 win against Mike Tyson, 54, which was the last in the legend’s pro career.
Holyfield was set to return on the undercard of 23-year-old Teofimo Lopez’s lightweight title defence against George Kambosos, 27, on June 19.
But instead, the heavyweight legend will headline his own event two months later.
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
