Dana White Responds to Oscar De La Hoya’s Criticism of Zuffa Boxing

Dana White finally broke his silence after Oscar De La Hoya took aim at the Zuffa Boxing product. De La Hoya had labeled the recent Apex debut a club level show and questioned the caliber of the fighters involved. While a response was expected, White chose to ignore the specifics of the matchmaking and talent, keeping his focus entirely on De La Hoya himself.

In his recent clap back Thursday, De La Hoya attacked the Zuffa Boxing presentation. He compared the atmosphere at the Apex to a COVID era bubble show and described the fights as glorified sparring sessions. He further argued there was a clear reason why established promoters had previously passed on those specific athletes.

These remarks were sharp, but they targeted the quality of the product rather than White’s character. White’s rebuttal, however, did not engage with any of those points.

Speaking at Zuffa Boxing 02, White portrayed De La Hoya as a man in decline. “Oscar is on a sinking ship and will not shut the f—k up,” White stated. He then launched into a series of personal insults that completely bypassed the concerns regarding the Apex format or the competitive level of the card.

Footage from the event captured a visibly agitated White. His body language was more aggressive than usual, yet the content of his speech remained focused on the messenger rather than the message.

Historically, White defends his ventures by citing viewership numbers, platform reach, or long term vision. In this instance, he skipped that strategy. The critique of the product went unanswered, as the narrative shifted toward discrediting De La Hoya’s credibility.

De La Hoya’s current business struggles provided White with an easy opening. Golden Boy Promotions recently lost its DAZN broadcast deal and transitioned to a smaller platform amid reports of financial pressure. While these issues don’t necessarily make De La Hoya’s assessment of the fights wrong, they make him an easier target for personal retaliation.

The timing of this outburst is telling. White ignored De La Hoya for years while Golden Boy was a powerhouse. He only fired back once the criticism hit the Zuffa brand directly, yet even then, he refused to defend the actual work inside the ring.

The ultimate success of Zuffa Boxing is still up in the air. This exchange simply highlights how White handles the first major public pushback against his new venture. When the product was scrutinized, he chose to attack the critic’s status rather than prove the critic wrong.