IT’s official – Oscar De La Hoya is back.
Returning to the ring for the first time in over a decade, the 48-year-old star was once known as the ‘Golden Boy of Boxing’.
He looked set to follow legends Mike Tyson and Floyd Mayweather by going down the exhibition route, taking on UFC champion Vitor Belfort.
But after extensive medical testing of both fighters, the bout has now been sanctioned as a professional contest by the California State Athletic Commission.
When is De La Hoya vs Belfort?
- This contest is all set for Saturday, September 11.
- It will take place in the Staples Center, Los Angeles.
- The fight is set for eight rounds of three minutes.
- Action on the undercard starts at 1am BST, so expect the main event around 4am on Sunday morning in the UK.
Which TV channel and live stream can I watch it on?
Here in the UK, you’ll be able to watch on FITE.TV.
The streaming only service will provide the undercard and main event for $23.99, which is around £17.
You can also follow all the action right here on SunSport with our live blog.
Who is fighting on the undercard?
The full card is yet to be approved, but it looks set to be a cracker in LA.
David Haye is reportedly set to come out of retirement to fight Joe Fournier on the bill.
Haye is scheduled to fight earlier in the evening on a separate PPV, allowing for fight fans in the UK to watch.
The full card is also set to feature Anderson Silva and Tito Ortiz.
What they said
De La Hoya: “This is not a game.
“We don’t play boxing. We don’t play UFC. We don’t play MMA.
“I literally said if we’re going to do this, let’s do it for real. Let’s not do this song and dance. Let’s not do these exhibitions that we’re tired of.
“This is the real thing.”
Vitor Belford: “When you step in the ring, you want the wars.
“I’m coming into the sport that Oscar has mastered, and I’ve learned in training boxing at a different level.
“My style is to come as a lion, and that’s what I’m going to do, no changes now.”
