The world of MMA and boxing celebrates Mexican Independence Day on Sept. 14. Canelo Alvarez defends super middleweight gold against Edgar Berlanga while The Sphere hosts UFC 306. It is expected to be an excellent night in Las Vegas for combat sports.
Although the events will compete with one another, there is no ill will. UFC CEO Dana White has even said he wishes Canelo and Al Haymon the best. One person who won't is former world champion Oscar De La Hoya.
De La Hoya, promoter of Golden Boy Promotions, has a beef with Canelo and White. However, he may be missing out on the former's fight completely. He is willing to support one enemy in White and stick it to another in Canelo.
MORE: Who is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world?
Is Oscar De La Hoya at UFC 306?
De La Hoya announced on his Clap Back Thursday's social media post his intention to attend UFC 306 at The Sphere, not Canelo's fight at T-Mobile Arena.
"We're a week away from the boxing match that nobody asked for and the UFC event that everyone will be watching," De La Hoya said. "Canelo is fighting Berlanga, another snoozefest. They're trying to sell a pay-per-view for $90 and $500 minimum in person. It's just robbery at this point to pay for another lame Canelo fight that always goes the distance against a subpar opponent.
"I'll actually be attending the UFC event at The Sphere instead. I love the sport of boxing more than anything. I will be watching boxing matches anywhere and anytime – even if it's a simple sparring session between two bums fighting on the street. So the idea I'm choosing to attend a UFC event and support Dana White instead of Canelo, it tells you everything you need to know."
De La Hoya is against Canelo vs. Berlanga, a fight that turned a few heads when it was announced. Many boxing fans hoped Canelo would fight David Benavidez, a dream fight.
White even confirmed that De La Hoya would be at his event, saying De La Hoya is coming with Turki Alalshikh, Golden Boy and UFC partner with Riyadh Season and Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority.
MORE: Dana White on UFC at The Sphere: 'Going to be a f— masterpiece.'
Oscar De La Hoya-Canelo Alvarez beef, explained
De La Hoya and Canelo are multi-time champions, entertaining millions in the ring, albeit at different times. Both are also successful businessmen who have worked together at one point.
Canelo had a long history fighting for Golden Boy, signing with the promotion in 2010. In 2018, Canelo signed a $365 million contract with DAZN and the promotion. Eventually, Canelo filed a lawsuit against DAZN and Golden Boy and accused both of a breach of contract. He requested damages of up to $280 million after disagreements over potential opponents and payments.
"You can see there's no loyalty in him," Alvarez said of De La Hoya in 2019 to The Athletic before facing Sergey Kovalev. "He changed trainers during his career. He changed managers in his career. So there's no loyalty. That's the way he is. We see it now."
A representative at DAZN told ESPN it was believed the deal would include a Canelo trilogy fight against Gennadiy Golovkin. Canelo's side claimed they were in the dark. He was also stripped of the IBF middleweight title after a fight against Sergiy Derevyanchenko didn't materialize.
I'm very upset and ashamed with my fans, to be unfairly stripped of my belt by the IBF, but specially when i did not have the knowledge of the agreement that GBP match maker had signed.
— Canelo Alvarez (@Canelo) August 2, 2019
After the lawsuit was settled, Canelo was released from his contract with Golden Boy. He later returned to associating with Golden Boy when he faced Jaime Munguia in May.
MORE: Can Berlanga upset the odds and dethrone Canelo?
During the pre-fight press conference, Canelo and De La Hoya got into a war of words. After years of talking about one another, they were finally in the same room. De La Hoya decided to start things off with a bang.
"I have nothing but respect for Canelo Alvarez as a fighter; his record and abilities speak for themselves," De La Hoya said. "But he has spent much of the last two months insulting me rather than promoting this fight. Yes, I've faced a lot of challenges in my life. Yes, I've been to rehab several times. And yes, there were times when work was not my priority based on my mental health, which I neglected for so long.
"But that doesn't change the fact that Golden Boy built Canelo Alvarez – period. The company you fought under for decades has always had one name, and it's mine … so put some f------ respect on it."
Canelo took exception to that, telling De La Hoya not to talk to him like that. In Spanish and English, Canelo later said De La Hoya steals money and only cares about himself.
"He tried to steal money, and he is a f------ a------, that is what I said," barked Canelo after speaking in Spanish initially. "He tried to keep the attention for him, not for Munguia. He's a f------ a------. He has stealed his fighters. That's what he does."
That was the last time they interacted. De La Hoya won't interact with Canelo at all this weekend but is sure to have something to say about the Mexican warrior at UFC 306.
