Oscar De La Hoya says Zuffa belt ‘means nothing,’ questions legitimacy of rival championship

Golden Boy promoter questions legitimacy of in-house title during Las Vegas fight week

Oscar De La Hoya publicly rejected Zuffa Boxing’s newly introduced championship belt, saying it carries no real standing in the sport. The Golden Boy promoter argued that titles gain authority through sanctioning bodies, not branding.

De La Hoya made his position clear while speaking during fight week in Las Vegas ahead of Ryan Garcia’s WBC welterweight title challenge against Mario Barrios. He ridiculed the idea that a newly introduced belt could carry real importance.

“That belt is worth more or has more history than my Tom Ford belt, or my Dolce & Gabbana belt,” De La Hoya said sarcastically. “Don’t say you’re coming out with guns blazing and this and that, and you have done nothing. Nothing. You’re just another promoter that came in with a new belt.”

His criticism focused on the lack of standing behind the title, especially compared to the established belts that fighters have pursued for generations.

“That means nothing in this world,” De La Hoya said. “They want to work against all the organizations. They don’t want to include the WBC, WBA, IBF, or WBO. To me, it’s absurd. It’s mindboggling.”

De La Hoya also questioned how respected fighters could treat the belt as meaningful.

“To me, that’s embarrassing,” De La Hoya said. “It should be embarrassing. He’s a great world champion. He’s a great person. I love the guy. But come on, how can you fight for the Zuffa belt?”

Zuffa Boxing, backed by UFC president Dana White and Saudi official Turki Alalshikh, has begun introducing its own belt instead of using the existing sanctioning bodies.

“Zuffa (Boxing) is officially a failed science project,” De La Hoya said. “I had no idea there was a show on Sunday. Zuffa is filled with fighters on the tail end of their careers or who just can’t make it at the highest level. And if they do get some big names at Zuffa, it would only be because they’re donated from Turki. They’re basically hosting club shows in the basement of UFC in front of 50 people.

“They strip fighters of all their individuality, making them wear nasty generic shorts to blend in for the sake of the product. They make it impossible for fighters to grow their own brands. And Jesus, don’t get me started on the made-up belt. They made up a belt, and they want you to believe it has generational value.”

De La Hoya made clear he does not view that title as something fighters should value.In boxing, a belt carries authority only when it comes with a ranking system, a mandatory challenger, and the ability to enforce a purse bid if negotiations stall. Without that structure, a title operates as a promotional symbol rather than a regulatory one.

A belt can be created instantly, but respect in boxing still depends on whether fighters and promoters accept it, and De La Hoya made clear he is not treating this one as legitimate.