Oscar De La Hoya claims he will KO Conor McGregor within two rounds; Irishman responds

Oscar De La Hoya hasn't competed in a professional boxing match in the last decade but the retired boxer is confident that he is still good enough to beat the UFC's poster boy Conor McGregor if the pair ever square off in the near future.

The 47-year-old retired boxer De La Hoya last competed in the year 2008 when he took on another boxing hall of famer in Manny Pacquiao at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas. The fight turned out to be a disaster for De La Hoya who was comprehensively beaten via TKO in the eighth round when he threw in the towel.

Oscar De La Hoya believes Conor McGregor is easy work

During a recent appearance on the State of Combat podcast, De La Hoya gave his take on a hypothetical matchup with McGregor in the boxing ring and said it would not take him more than two rounds to send the Irishman back for an early shower. However, De La Hoya also praised McGregor for his exploits inside the Octagon before stressing on the fact that boxing is a completely different ball game.

“Two rounds. One thing about me: I went for the kill, always. Look, Conor McGregor, I love him in the octagon. I respect him. I watch him all the time. But the boxing ring is a whole different story.”

McGregor, as we all know, doesn't back out from a challenge. The fighter, who only has one professional boxing bout under his belt against arguably the greatest boxer to have ever stepped inside the squared circle - Floyd Mayweather; took to Twitter to accept De La Hoya's challenge.

I accept your challenge, Oscar de la Hoya.

— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) May 7, 2020

McGregor fought Mayweather in August 2017 and despite getting some success in the early exchanges courtesy his unorthodox fighting style, Mayweather got the better of the Irishman in the later rounds and knocked out McGregor in the tenth round of the twelve round contest to get the w.