Oscar De La Hoya labels Zuffa Boxing “the XFL of boxing”

Oscar De La Hoya delivered a sharp dismissal of Zuffa Boxing’s debut on Thursday, comparing the new venture to the XFL and questioning whether the project has substance beyond branding.

Speaking during his weekly “Clap Back Thursday” segment, De La Hoya said Zuffa had promised to fix what it claimed was broken in boxing, only to deliver a familiar product with different packaging. “They wanted a league,” De La Hoya said. “Well, this is the XFL of boxing.”

The comparison was aimed less at the fights themselves and more at the presentation. De La Hoya argued that Zuffa’s debut lacked identity, atmosphere, and credibility, pointing to the Apex setting and what he described as a sterile, corporate feel. He dismissed the event as “club show boxing” and questioned whether fans have any interest in a league-branded model that mirrors what already exists.

De La Hoya also criticized Zuffa’s uniform policies, saying fighters were stripped of individuality and treated as products rather than people. “With them, you are just a transaction,” he said. “A product on the shelf to be sold.”

The XFL reference served as shorthand for a venture that launched with loud promises of disruption but struggled to translate hype into sustained interest. De La Hoya framed Zuffa’s approach as league first marketing without the foundation needed in an established sport like boxing.

He went further by warning young fighters against committing their careers to unproven structures. Using a hypothetical Olympic gold medalist choosing between an established promoter and a new league, De La Hoya said the decision would be simple. “I’m not gambling my career on someone who tells me ‘wait and see,’” he said.

Zuffa has yet to publicly respond to the remarks. De La Hoya closed by saying criticism does not make someone a hater, adding that fans are entitled to judge what they see rather than what they are promised.