Former UFC champion Georges St-Pierre was set to face Oscar De La Hoya in 2021 until Dana White intervened.
'Rush' famously retired from MMA in early 2019, distancing himself from potential bouts with the likes of Khabib Nurmagomedov. However, Georges St-Pierre continues to show interest in racing after his retirement. He was also booked for a jiu-jitsu match with Nick Diaz last year, but it was canceled due to injury.
In 2021, the Canadian was in talks to step into the ring for a one-off boxing match with Oscar De La Hoya. “Golden Boy” hasn't competed in over a decade, but has signed a deal to compete with the infamous Triller Fight Club brand. However, De La Hoya was signed to fight Vitor Belfort instead. St-Pierre's contract with the UFC forced him to decline.
Talking about the latest magazines, Pound 4 Pound Podcast, Georges St-Pierre was asked about the boxing match. There, the former UFC champion admitted he was very interested in facing Oscar De La Hoya, but Dana White canceled his contract. Not that surprising considering the feud between the two promoters.
However, Georges St-Pierre added that after the boxing offer, he received a call from Dana White and was offered another fight. The UFC president has offered the retired fighter a possible fight against former champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. However, with both men retired, St-Pierre knew the fight would never actually happen.
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Former UFC Champion Georges St-Pierre talks about Dana White blocking boxing match
“That didn't happen because Dana White said no,” Georges St-Pierre said on his podcast when asked why he didn't face Oscar De La Hoya in a boxing match. “Dana White hates Oscar De La Hoya and his contract with the UFC. He still has a few years left even after he retires. It depends on the contract. But my contract, how it was signed, I still have a relationship with the UFC. I'm not going to say how many years because I don't want to be inaccurate. But I still had a connection with the UFC.”
He continued, “When I asked Dana for permission, I can't say what he told me. But he said, “That person, that person, that person, blah, blah, no, uh… People said, “It's okay.''that's why [it didn’t happen]. Then he called me and said he wanted me to fight Khabib. ”
“But Khabib was already retired and I was already retired,” Georges St-Pierre concluded. “Then he'll be able to say, 'Oh, I don't want to do it.' [fight]””
What do you think about these comments about UFC President Dana White? Have you seen the boxing match between Georges St-Pierre and Oscar De La Hoya?
