Oscar De La Hoya criticized Zuffa Boxing on Saturday while discussing a potential September 12 fight between Ryan Garcia and Conor Benn.

“The problem I have with Zuffa is that everything they touch, whenever they get involved in it, it’s always a large damn problem,” De La Hoya said during DAZN’s Golden Boy on Saturday night.

“Ryan Garcia has a promotional contract with Golden Boy and Ryan fights on DAZN. Zuffa Boxing, all they do is interfere and make things tough. The bottom line is Ryan Garcia wants to fight on September 12, but he will fight on DAZN.”

Garcia and Benn have been linked to the September 12 fight. Previous reports indicated that the event may be promoted by Zuffa Boxing and distributed on Paramount+.

“If the opponent is Conor Benn, so be it, but we all have to work together to make the fight happen,” De La Hoya said. “There are promoters for a reason, there are contracts for a reason, but when Zuffa gets involved there is always a large problem.”

Golden Boy recently issued a cease and desist letter to Zuffa Boxing in connection with its promotion of Garcia.

Ryan won the WBC welterweight title with a victory over Mario Barrios on February 21. Benn’s last fight was on April 11, defeating Regis Prograis in London.

Garcia remains under contract with Golden Boy. De La Hoya reiterated Saturday that any future fight involving Garcia must be coordinated by the company and broadcast on DAZN.

Dan Ambrose is a boxing journalist at Boxing News 24, respected for his direct analysis and extensive coverage of the global fight landscape. His reports focus on the most vital fights, division development and the most discussed stories in sports.

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Last updated: 21/06/2026 at 2:00

Conor Benn continues to demand his must-see shot against WBC welterweight world champion Ryan Garcia, and former three-division world champion Shane Mosley has offered his predictions for the fight.

Following Garcia’s victory over Mario Barrios in February to capture the belt, the WBC confirmed that Benn is the mandatory challenger, even though the Briton has not fought at that weight since 2022.

Although the champion said the fight is booked for September 12 in Las Vegas, later taking legal action by his promoter Golden Boy to block any discussion that doesn’t go through has complicated plans.

If this fight does happen, there is no doubt that it will be an action-packed fight Boxing in Mill CityMosley predicted a victory for Garcia after the break, believing the Californian was “too quick and too robust” for the British challenger.

“I like this fight, I think Ryan beats him because he’s too quick and too robust for Conor Benn, but considering the publicity in terms of ticket sales [it’s a good fight]. I think Ryan will be the winner of this fight.”

“He can stop it with his right hand, left hook, or left hook, right hand – or both.”

Mosley then said that Benn had not learned or improved in recent fights and that Garcia’s excellent amateur pedigree, having won 15 national championships before turning pro, would shine on fight night.

“I think he is [Benn] he has elite power and comes to kill. So he’s elite, but he didn’t have it [amateur] origin like Ryan. He just comes with brute power and strength and his mentality is like that [to be a] killer. Sometimes you need something more, and for all this you need boxing skills.

“I think in terms of skills, the ability to move backwards and forwards and just other basics that I don’t think he’s learned yet. He just jumped in there and started fighting.”

Oscar De La Hoya says Golden Boy Promotions is making progress toward resolving its contract dispute with Vergil Ortiz Jr. and the undefeated junior middleweight is expected to return to the ring before the end of the year.

Ortiz has been inactive since tardy 2025 after a disagreement with Golden Boy that derailed plans to fight Jaron “Boots” Ennis.

“Nothing makes me happier than seeing fighters step into the ring and perform. Vergil Ortiz is one of the best fighters in the world. I hate not seeing him fight,” De La Hoya said during Saturday’s DAZN broadcast on Golden Boy.

“Do I want to resolve this? Definitely a thousand percent. Did they make a mistake? Did we make a mistake? No. There was a misunderstanding, everything is fine. Eric Gomez is talking to Rick Mirigian and we’re making it happen.”

De La Hoya said Golden Boy expects the situation to be resolved under the terms of Ortiz’s existing contract with the company.

“We have the original agreement that was made. Let’s say outsiders are trying to disrupt everything, but we have the contracts, we have the relationships, we have Vergil Ortiz,” De La Hoya said.

“We’ve had him since he was a kid, since he started boxing professionally. We feel like we’re very close and Vergil Ortiz will be fighting this year.”

Ortiz last fought in November 2025, defeating Erickson Lubin in two rounds. After the fight, Ortiz and Ennis met face-to-face in the ring, and plans for a high-profile fight gained momentum before a contract dispute halted negotiations.

Ortiz is 24-0 with 22 knockouts and remains one of the top contenders in the junior middleweight division. De La Hoya’s comments indicate that discussions between Golden Boy president Eric Gomez and Ortiz advisor Rick Mirigian are ongoing and both sides are working to reach an agreement.

Robert Segal is a boxing reporter at Boxing News 24 with over a decade of experience covering fight news, previews and analysis. Known for his first-hand reporting and in-ring perspective, he delivers authoritative coverage of champions, challengers and emerging talent from around the world.

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Last updated: 21/06/2026 at 2:25