Oscar De La Hoya TASS

Fully vaccinated Oscar De La Hoya hospitalized by COVID-19

By Zac Wassink | Last updated Sep 3, 2021 3:09 PM ET

As Alexander K. Lee and Damon Martin explained for MMA Fighting, combat sports legend and all-time great Oscar De La Hoya was scheduled to return to the ring Sept. 11 for a boxing match versus former UFC champion Vitor Belfort at Staples Center in Los Angeles. However, De La Hoya was ruled out of the contest after testing positive for COVID-19, and former world heavyweight boxing champion Evander Holyfield is attempting to step in as a replacement for De La Hoya.

De La Hoya updated via Twitter that he is fully vaccinated against COVID-19 but nevertheless is receiving treatment in the hospital after the virus hit him hard.

Wanted you to hear directly from me that despite being fully vaccinated, I have contracted Covid and am not going to be able to fight next weekend. Preparing for this comeback has been everything to me over the last months, & I want to thank everyone for their tremendous support. pic.twitter.com/0wKEnr5Jzv
— Oscar De La Hoya (@OscarDeLaHoya) September 3, 2021

I am currently in the hospital getting treatment and am confident I will be back in the ring before the year is up. God bless everyone and stay safe.
— Oscar De La Hoya (@OscarDeLaHoya) September 3, 2021

Holyfield, 58, hasn't fought since 2011, and TMZ Sports reports the California State Athletic Commission may not sanction a bout between the "Real Deal" and Belfort. TMZ adds, though, the fight could be relocated to Florida, where it would be permitted to occur on the second Saturday of September.

Zac Wassink

Zac Wassink is a longtime sports news writer and PFWA member who began his career in 2006 and has had his work featured on Yardbarker, MSN, Yahoo Sports and Bleacher Report. He is also a football and futbol aficionado who is probably yelling about Tottenham Hotspur at the moment and who chanted for Matt Harvey to start the ninth inning of Game 5 of the 2015 World Series at Citi Field. You can find him on X at @ZacWassink

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