Former two-division UFC champion Georges St-Pierre was offered a lucrative deal to box Oscar De La Hoya, but UFC president Dana White prevented it from happening.
During an appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, St-Pierre detailed exactly what went down from the time he was offered the fight from Triller Fight Club, his efforts to make it happen, and White’s ultimate decision to not allow it.
“I was contacted by Triller to do a novelty fight against Oscar De La Hoya at 170 pounds with big gloves. It would have been 14 or 12 ounce gloves, eight rounds of two minutes, two minute rounds. I thought it would be a fun thing to do,” St-Pierre said.
“My career as to prove that I’m the strongest man in the world as a mixed martial artist is done. I’m 40-years old. But to do something something different, something that could be fun. Plus, on top of that, a lot of money would have been given to charity against a legend in this sport against Oscar De La Hoya,” St-Pierre said.
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“I would have done it. I think, not because I believe that I’m a better boxer than Oscar De La Hoya was when he was in his prime, but I do, now, believe that he probably has more mileage than I do. I’m in great shape. I’m younger. I used to compete at a heavier weight class. I think it would have been a fair fight that the fans would have wanted to watch,” St-Pierre continued.
St-Pierre announced his official retirement from mixed martial arts on Feb. 21, 2019, at a press conference at the Bell Centre in Montreal. Although retired, St-Pierre is still under contract with the UFC.
“I’m retired from the sport of mixed martial arts, but I’m still under contract with UFC. I needed to have the blessing of Dana White. I even called Lorenzo [Fertitta] to try to convince Dana. Lorenzo liked the idea, but Dana did not want it,” St-Pierre said.
“I know he hates Oscar, but I said to him, I said, ‘listen, I’m going to make Oscar look bad because I’m in great shape. I’ve been staying in great shape the whole time. He didn’t like the idea that Triller take a fighter that he promoted, that he took a lot of time trying to promote them and they make money out of them. That’s the argument that he gave me.”
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Georges St-Pierre details why Dana White would not let him box Oscar De La Hoya
