Oscar De La Hoya isn’t dismissing Ryan Garcia’s announcement about a September fight against Conor Benn, even if he stopped short of officially confirming it himself.
Ryan appeared this week on NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and stated that he would fight Benn on September 12. Asked directly about the situation Friday night, De La Hoya looked caught off guard by the public announcement, but made it clear he has no issue making the fight.
Broadcaster Chris Mannix asked De La Hoya about Ryan publicly naming Benn as his next opponent.
“I can’t confirm, but I never shy away from Ryan Garcia fighting the very best,” said De La Hoya to DAZN Boxing.
“If Conor Benn is who he wants, then that’s what we do. I work with every promoter out there. If I have to work with Zuffa, I have to work with Zuffa.”
De La Hoya then took a shot at Dana White while still leaving the door open for cooperation if it leads to the fight getting made.
“Dana White is a neanderthal, but I’ll still work with him to make the fights happen,” said De La Hoya. “But we’re never fighting for the Zuffa belt. That’s just a unicorn belt.”
Ryan captured the WBC welterweight title earlier this year and has repeatedly said he wants to remain active against major names. Benn has also spent the last year calling for marquee fights after rebuilding momentum with wins following his lengthy suspension saga.
“The WBC belt is what Ryan wants; it’s what he loves, and that’s what he’s going to defend,” said De La Hoya. “But if it’s Conor Benn, it’s Conor Benn.”
Garcia’s comments on Fallon were the first public indication that a Benn fight was already being lined up for September 12. De La Hoya’s reaction suggested the negotiations may not be finalized yet, but he gave no indication that Golden Boy would stand in the way if Ryan pushes for the fight.
Oscar De La Hoya on Garcia 🆚 Benn 👀#JonesGualtieri | Live NOW DAZN ▪️ pic.twitter.com/enKQY2JNtg
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) May 23, 2026
Click here to subscribe to our FREE newsletter
Related Boxing News:
Last Updated on 2026/05/22 at 11:48 PM
Read the full article here
