UFC News: Dana White answers if Oscar De La Hoya initiated the MGM airing of Diaz-Masvidal fight

Nate Diaz vs. Jorge Masvidal
Nate Diaz vs. Jorge Masvidal

It is not every day that a boxing match is put on hold to air a UFC event live for the fans. But that is exactly what happened at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on the night Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz fought it out over the BMF title belt at Madison Square Garden in New York.

But Dana White is adamant that it had nothing to do with former boxer and now boxing and MMA promoter, Oscar De La Hoya.

MMA Junkie reported on the matter.


White has an axe to grind with De La Hoya

It came as a surprise to the UFC President when he was asked if the BMF title fight could be aired at MGM, especially since it was a WBO Light Heavyweight title fight between Canelo Alvarez and Sergey Kovalev that was being put on hold for it.

“So we’re sitting there and MGM called and said, ‘You guys are halfway through your co-main event right now. We can’t – people are losing their minds here … Can we show the Diaz fight at the MGM?’ And I was just like, ‘Holy (expletive), this is crazy,'” White said. “This is getting crazy by the minute. If I woke up and dreamed all of this, I wouldn’t believe that it could happen. But it was nuts. Of course we said yes, and they did, and – wow.”

But when asked if he thought Oscar De La Hoya had anything to do with it, he made his opinions about him as well as the possibility of that happening, very clear.

“He didn’t do any of that,” White said at the UFC 244 post-fight news conference. “You think that idiot did that? He did none of that. It was much smarter people that surround him that started to do that stuff. It wasn’t that moron. He’s an (expletive). I mean how much more can I prove myself that this guy is an (expletive) and a complete just (expletive) up?”

The UFC President clearly does not like De La Hoya, and this was not the first time he made that evident. However, he went on to say that he had much respect for the boxers involved and he was glad the boxing fans could see both the events that night.


What do you think of Dana White's continuing spat with Oscar de la Hoya? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!

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Edited by Anirban Banerjee