Oscar De La Hoya Gives up on Canelo Alvarez Bout – Prefers Floyd Mayweather or Felix Trinidad Rematch
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In just a few weeks, boxing legend Oscar De La Hoya will make his official pro-boxing return after nearly 12 years of inactivity. He will face former UFC champion, Vitor Belfort, on September 11 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.
As he announced his return to the ring after losing to Manny Pacquiao in 2008, De La Hoya also revealed a stratospheric goal of fighting Canelo Alvarez after a win over 44-year-old Belfort and another comeback fight.
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However, he has now backtracked on that plan. Oscar De La Hoya recently shared that he is done calling out the Mexican champion.
He highlighted that the fear of getting knocked out is not why he is backing out of the Alvarez pursuit. In addition, he pointed out that he now wants to chase other big fights with Floyd Mayweather and even Felix Trinidad.
However, before the 48-year-old pursues the likes of ‘Money’ Mayweather, he wants to get through some warm-up fights, with Vitor Belfort being one of them.
Oscar De La Hoya has decided he will no longer call out Canelo in his comeback: "I changed my mind. Not because of anything or he'll knock me out. It's just I thought it over and I'd actually rather call out – after I do two [comeback bouts] – Floyd Mayweather or Felix Trinidad."
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) August 25, 2021
Before he can continue with his other plans to re-establish his dominance in the squared circle, a tough former UFC champion and striking specialist still stands in his way.
Here’s a closer look into the Oscar De La Hoya – Vitor Belfort fight on September 11-
Oscar De La Hoya vs Vitor Belfort: Fight Preview
The 48-year-old former WBC welterweight champion is now all set to face Vitor Belfort. The eight-round fight is set at a 185 lbs catchweight limit.
Vitor Belfort normally fought in the middleweight, light-heavyweight, and heavyweight divisions through his UFC career; making weight for this fight would not be a big challenge for him. On the other hand, his opponent never competed at a weight higher than 160 pounds. Moreover, his majority wins came at 147 pounds or below.
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Hoya recently shared that he plans on walking into the fight 10 pounds lighter than the 185 lbs limit. This could mean that he is looking to apply a ‘stick and move’ approach, that many heavier fighters usually face difficulty with.
However, if he fails to defend himself well enough and show agility in his movement, Vitor Belfort could clip him at any point during the fight.
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As the two legends head into battle on September 11, Oscar De La Hoya says he is looking forward to giving fans a good old in-ring war.
“I’m going to give the fans a war. I’ve been studying Marvin Hagler vs. Thomas Hearns for a reason, I want a fight, a war, I have a good chin, and I can take the punch. I know Vitor Belfort has the same mentality,” said Hoya.
How do you see this fight playing out?
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