The fight over boxing’s future isn’t happening in a ring. It’s happening in Washington. And right now, Oscar De La Hoya is stepping into it almost alone. The Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act has already cleared the House by voice vote, with just one audible objection. That alone tells you how quietly this has moved. But the real implications sit in what comes next.

If the Senate passes it, the bill could reshape how boxing operates by allowing Unified Boxing Organizations, essentially letting promoters control rankings, titles, and events under one system. For some, that’s modernization. For others, it’s a red flag. And De La Hoya falls firmly in the second camp. Speaking to Ariel Helwani recently, he made it clear this isn’t a done deal yet.

“Well, it doesn’t seem inevitable. I mean, it still has to pass through the Senate,” Oscar De La Hoya said. “You know, I’ve had various conversations with members from the Senate and they invited me in a few weeks to Washington and speak and so I’m gonna be there and this is what’s mind-boggling to me is that nobody’s reporting on it. Nobody’s talking about it. You know, I’m expecting the boxing community to be in Washington.”

“I’m not sure exactly what day it is but it’s in a few weeks and I’ll be there but it feels like I’m fighting this fight alone. It’s pretty odd, but look, that’s what TKO is. That’s what Zufa is. That’s what Dana is. They’re always sneaky.”

It’s a bold take describing the House movement as “sneaky” and “under the radar,” suggesting that key steps happened without broader attention. Whether that’s entirely fair or not, the facts do show limited public debate compared to the scale of the change being proposed. The concern centers on control.

Under the proposed system, organizations could operate like the UFC model under TKO, where one entity manages matchmaking, titles, and promotion. That’s efficient. It’s also centralized. Critics, including Rep. Joe Courtney, have warned that this could reduce fighter protections, pointing to issues like long-term contracts and limited legal recourse. Even supporters of the bill have acknowledged it needs stronger safeguards before becoming law.

Oscar De La Hoya is trying to stop it before it reaches that stage. “Hopefully, it gets derailed,” he said, outlining his goal for the Senate appearance. That’s a direct challenge to a bill backed by powerful interests, including Dana White and TKO, who see this as a way to streamline boxing’s fragmented structure. But this isn’t the first time De La Hoya has gone off on the UFC boss and his foray into boxing.

Oscar De La Hoya goes scorched earth on Zuffa Boxing

Just a couple of weeks ago, Oscar De La Hoya went off publicly after a Zuffa Boxing event involving Jai Opetaia. And while the language was raw, the underlying issue tied directly into what he’s now arguing in Washington, control and transparency.

De La Hoya claimed Opetaia entered the fight believing an IBF title was on the line, only for that sanctioning to be pulled once a Zuffa-branded belt was introduced instead. From his perspective, that wasn’t just a mix-up; it was misrepresentation. He accused Dana White and Zuffa of misleading fighters and fans, saying the promotion “lied to everyone the entire time” and left Opetaia fighting for something that didn’t carry real championship value.

“So instead of fighting for a belt that he loves, Jai was stuck fighting for absolutely nothing against a guy who had zero championship experience. And Jai was obviously disappointed…” De La Hoya said. “Nobody wants to fight for the piece of sh- Zuffa belt they are trying to push on us. And fighters want to fight the very best in the world. His opponent, Brandon Glanton, was a plant by The Ring who ranked him #10 in the world in their made-up rankings. He had never even fought a championship round in his entire life.”

And then there’s the fighter angle. He warned that once athletes sign into that system, they may not fully understand what they’re agreeing to. Long-term, that ties back to the same fears lawmakers like Rep. Joe Courtney mentioned, limited leverage and fewer protections if one entity holds too much power.

Now, to be fair, this is one side of the argument, and it’s coming from a rival promoter. But it does explain why Oscar De La Hoya is pushing so hard against the legislation.