Dana White says he never tried to set up Oscar De La Hoya.
De La Hoya recently said he skipped Ryan Garcia’s win over Conor Benn in September because he expected to be embarrassed at the Zuffa Boxing event. White responded after Contender Series on Tuesday.
I would never do that. Listen, my dislike for Oscar De La Hoya is very well known. He knows it, I know it, and it’s mutual.
But I am the type of person, I would call and say, ‘Don’t even try and show up to this f—-ing fight. You’re not welcome.’ I would never have somebody show up to an event and do that.
White said he has been on the receiving end of that treatment. Ronda Rousey made her WWE in-ring debut at WrestleMania 34 in New Orleans in April 2018.
Vince McMahon did it to me for Ronda’s first wrestling match. I flew to f—-ing New Orleans, showed up at will call, and they said, ‘Oh, we have no tickets for you.'
I started making some phone calls; they end up getting me tickets, I’m in the f—-ing bleachers. I’ve been through all that. I wouldn’t do that to even an enemy.
Reports after the Garcia-Benn fight said De La Hoya’s seats were not ringside, as is customary for a co-promoter. White said De La Hoya was set for the celebrity VIP area.
Oscar knew he had tickets. Oscar knew where he was sitting. Oscar was coming in the back, like all the celebrities do, to the celebrity VIP area, and he knew all of that.
De La Hoya also said Golden Boy staff were treated poorly at the event. White pointed him toward Turki Alalshikh, who backs Zuffa Boxing.
He should talk to Turki about that if that’s the case.
