Oscar De La Hoya Does Not Think Ryan Garcia Will Join Zuffa Boxing
Oscar De La Hoya expressed skepticism about Ryan Garcia leaving Golden Boy for Zuffa Boxing after his contract ends.
Oscar De La Hoya does not believe Ryan Garcia will jump to Zuffa Boxing once his Golden Boy Promotions contract expires, despite Garcia's public praise of his experience with Dana White's outfit.
De La Hoya told media that he sees Zuffa as a poor fit for Garcia. "I don't think he'll go with Zuffa. I don't think that's a good fit for him," De La Hoya said.
Garcia has one fight remaining on his Golden Boy contract. De La Hoya has not finalized that matchup but named Devin Haney and Teofimo Lopez as preferred opponents for the final bout. A marquee name for that last fight could strengthen Golden Boy's pitch for a contract renewal, though it could also boost Garcia's leverage with competing promoters.
De La Hoya described his current relationship with Garcia as "good" following recent discussions between the two. He acknowledged Garcia's positive comments about his Zuffa Boxing experience but dismissed them as insufficient reason to change promoters.
The promotional tug-of-war comes at a pivotal moment for Garcia, who recently fought Conor Benn in a bout that generated significant attention. With one fight left, whichever opponent Golden Boy secures could determine whether Garcia re-signs or tests free agency.
Oscar is playing defense here and he knows it. When your fighter publicly praises the competition, you don't come out and say "that's not a good fit" unless you're worried it actually is.
The smart play from Golden Boy is exactly what Oscar described: deliver a massive final fight, whether it's Haney or Teofimo, and make Garcia feel like he can't get that anywhere else. But here's the thing. Zuffa Boxing is backed by UFC money and they're willing to spend to build their roster. If Garcia wants to be there, one more fight on a Golden Boy card isn't going to change his mind.
Garcia holds all the cards right now. One fight left, multiple suitors, and he just proved against Benn that he's still a draw. Oscar can talk about fit all he wants, but this comes down to who writes the biggest check and gives Garcia the fights he wants.
