“I care deeply about boxing and more importantly about the fighters… I’m here because I strongly believe the proposed changes to the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act take us in the wrong direction.” Oscar De La Hoya’s opening statement made an immediate impact. The message was clear: the stakes around the proposed changes are significant, and the debate is far from settled.

De La Hoya’s and Nico Ali Walsh’s efforts at the Senate hearing have drawn widespread attention. Among those visibly impressed was David Benavidez.

“I’ve seen that there in the Supreme Court, and you know, big shout out to Oscar De La Hoya,” the two-division champion said. “He’s really out there advocating for our fighters. You know, that Muhammad Ali act is in place for a good, good reason.”

“If the boxers don’t know that act and what it protects,” he added, “I suggest that you do your research and see what it protects because once that is taken away, there’s going to be a free game, and not everybody’s going to be getting it; it’s not going to be fair anymore.”

With that in mind, David Benavidez, who’s just a week short of the big fight against Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez, also acknowledged the work done by Dana White‘s Zuffa Boxing. They have been putting on solid shows and giving opportunities to many fighters. At the same time, he pointed out that some fighters who joined Zuffa did so because they didn’t get chances elsewhere, not necessarily because the conditions were better.

“If a new promotion company comes and gives fighters opportunities for them to feed their family, I have no problem with that,” he said at Helwani’s show. “But you know, this change to the Muhammad Ali Act, you know, it’s very concerning, but you know, at the end of the day, to each their own. You know, that’s why every fighter has to have their own personal lawyer; every fighter has to look at the contracts and all that stuff. So you guys need to be educated when you guys go out there and sign contracts.”

That perspective closely aligned with Oscar De La Hoya‘s stance at the Senate hearing, reinforcing a broader concern about fighter rights.

Oscar De La Hoya and Nico Ali Walsh take fight over Ali Act to Capitol Hill

“If this bill passes,” De La Hoya said. “Fighters will have fewer choices, less leverage, and less control over their careers. When that happens, it will not be the sport that fails them. It will be us.”

Nico Ali Walsh, meanwhile, pointed to the foundation of the law itself. He highlighted how the Muhammad Ali Act kept boxing fair by separating the roles of promoters, managers, and organizations that rank fighters. These safeguards prevented one company from having too much control over a boxer’s career.

He argued that a system where a single promotion, like the UFC, could sign fighters to long contracts – while also ranking them and awarding its own titles – could lead to conflicts of interest and reduce fairness. That outcome runs counter to the original purpose of the Ali Act and raises deeper questions about how much control any one entity should have in the sport.

From the other side of the debate, Nick Khan, WWE president and TKO board member, offered a contrasting view. He argued that boxing has seen a steady decline in popularity and has reached a point that calls for strong measures.

That said, while pushing back against the bill has been challenging, De La Hoya remained optimistic. He expressed hopes that the Senate will take a closer look at the proposed law and review its details.

“Well, my take on it today was very interesting because it felt like there was already a decision made beforehand,” he told a reporter.

He emphasized that lawmakers should listen to feedback from people involved in boxing and make changes based on that input. Rather than rejecting the bill completely, he wants lawmakers to improve and strengthen it to protect both the sport and the fighters who depend on it.