Team Belfort Doubts De La Hoya’s COVID Claim

Oscar De La Hoya was expected to make his return to the “sweet science” this Sat. night (Sept. 11) against former UFC champion Vitor Belfort, but a late case of COVID-19 sent the 48 year-old “Golden Boy” into the hospital.

Or was it a case of CHICKEN-19?

“I’m not trying to disrespect Oscar, I saw the video of Oscar, but if I’m being honest, I’m still skeptical,” Belfort’s trainer Derik Santos told Vegas Insider. “Something about it didn’t seem right. The level of how bad it looked. I know you can still get COVID if you’re double vaccinated, but it didn’t seem right. Maybe he realized we were taking the fight seriously, I don’t know.”

Stepping in for De La Hoya is former heavyweight boxing champion Evander Holyfield, who will hold a significant size advantage over “The Phenom” but turns 59 next month and raised his fair share of eyebrows with this recent video.

“As far as I know, [De La Hoya’s] side didn’t try to jump out and reschedule like others have, so yeah, I’m a little skeptical,” Santos continued. “I think he thought, ‘What have got myself into?’ He even posted this. We were going in there to give him a very good boxing match. We were ready. If the man does have COVID then I wish him a good recovery, I’m just mildly skeptical.”

De La Hoya has since been discharged from the hospital and hopes to make his boxing return at some point in late 2021 or early 2022.