Dana White vs Oscar De La Hoya: boxing's nastiest feud now has Ryan Garcia in the middle

Dana White and Oscar De La Hoya have been trading shots all year. Now the feud has a prize: Ryan Garcia.

DE LA HOYA: "THEY'D BE GETTING AN F"

De La Hoya has never hidden what he thinks of Zuffa Boxing, the boxing company White launched with TKO. Asked to grade its first year, he did not hesitate. "If I was a teacher, they'd be getting an F," he said.

He went after White personally too, saying White "doesn't know" anything about fighters and that "it's all about a number for him."

THE GARCIA VS BENN SNUB

The latest round started in September. Garcia, who is promoted by De La Hoya's Golden Boy, knocked out Conor Benn in the second round in Las Vegas on a card Golden Boy co-promoted with Zuffa Boxing. Yet De La Hoya was nowhere to be seen.

He says he was kept out of the promotion, and he stayed away from fight night because he suspected White's side wanted to embarrass him there. White says that is not true. "I would never do that," he said. "Oscar knew he had tickets," in the celebrity VIP area. White also made no secret of the bad blood: "I do not like De La Hoya and De La Hoya does not like me."

To explain why he would never pull a stunt like that, White told a story about Vince McMahon. When White flew in to watch Ronda Rousey's first WWE match in 2018, he said, there were no tickets waiting for him, and he ended up in the bleachers.

THE FIGHT FOR GARCIA

Garcia has one fight left on his Golden Boy deal, and White has made it clear he would like to sign him when it ends. De La Hoya does not think it will happen. "I don't think that's a good fit for him," he said, adding that he believes their relationship is "very salvageable." He wants Garcia's next fight to be Devin Haney or Teofimo Lopez.

HOW WE GOT HERE

This is not new. In February, White said De La Hoya was "on a sinking ship" and told him to get on OnlyFans to pay his rent, a jab at Golden Boy's money troubles. De La Hoya fired back, calling Zuffa Boxing "a failed science project" and its title belt "made-up." In June, Golden Boy's lawyers sent Zuffa a cease-and-desist letter over the Garcia vs Benn negotiations, saying Golden Boy had not agreed to the terms. The fight went ahead anyway.

White keeps saying people should judge Zuffa Boxing on its "body of work" at the end of 2026. De La Hoya has already handed in his grade.

THE RECORDS

Ryan Garcia, the WBC welterweight champion, is 26-2 (1 NC). Conor Benn is 25-2. Devin Haney is 33-0 (1 NC), and Teofimo Lopez is 23-2.

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