Vitor Belfort has respect for boxing legend Oscar De La Hoya but he won’t rule out something extreme happening in their match.
Belfort and De La Hoya will be sharing the ring on September 11. This was initially scheduled to be an exhibition bout but De La Hoya was able to convince Triller and seemingly the CSAC to make it a pro boxing match. De La Hoya vs. Belfort will be held inside the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.
Ahead of the fight, Belfort had a conversation with TMZ Sports. “The Phenom” said that while he has great praise for the “Golden Boy,” he says things can get ugly and even fatal in their fight (h/t World Boxing News).
“Oscar De La Hoya is a true superstar in the boxing world and one of the greatest and most popular fighters of our time. While we both have a great deal of respect for each other’s accomplishments, on September 11, I will make my MMA fans proud. I’ll show that MMA and ex-UFC fighters can take down even the best boxer in the world.
“I hope I don’t end up killing him. But everything is on the table. This is a no holds barred, all-out gladiator fight to the bitter end.”
Belfort has actually opened up as a slight betting favorite. This is despite the fact that the former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion only has one pro boxing match and that took place back in 2006. With that said, he has been more active than De La Hoya over the years in terms of combat sports.
