Oscar De La Hoya Unleashes on Dana White, Calls Zuffa Boxing a 'Failed Science Project'

LAS VEGAS — Another Thursday, another verbal haymaker from Oscar De La Hoya. This week’s edition of his now-infamous “Clap Back Thursday” was squarely aimed at Dana White and the UFC boss’s growing ambitions in boxing through Zuffa Boxing.

The latest escalation came after White took shots at several figures in boxing following Sunday’s third Zuffa Boxing event, including De La Hoya the former world champion and founder of Golden Boy Promotions. De La Hoya didn’t hold back. In a fiery Instagram video (watch here; viewer discretion advised), De La Hoya accused White of being delusional about Zuffa Boxing’s early success.

“You call people mentally ill when they don’t agree with you, but guess what… we’re just telling the facts,” De La Hoya said. “I have never in my entire life seen someone truly believe they’re actually killing it while they’re actually doing jack s---.”

The rivalry between the two promoters isn’t new. Their tension dates back years, often spilling into public exchanges. But since White officially launched Zuffa Boxing, the hostility has intensified.

Oscar De La Hoya dismissed Zuffa Boxing’s third event outright, claiming he didn’t even know it was taking place.

“Zuffa is officially a failed science project,” he said. “I had no idea there was a show on Sunday.”

He went further, criticizing the level of talent and the overall presentation.

“Zuffa is filled with fighters on the tail end of their careers or who just can’t make it at the highest level,” De La Hoya added. “They’re basically hosting club shows in the basement of UFC in front of 50 people.”

The comments reflect a broader skepticism from traditional boxing promoters about White’s ability to replicate UFC’s centralized promotional model in the fragmented world of boxing.