The Golden Boy wants a piece of The Notorious.
Oscar De La Hoya, who hasn’t fought since 2008, revealed Monday on “Golden Boy Radio with Tattoo and the Crew” that he’s been “secretly training” and would welcome an opportunity to face Conor McGregor, even suggesting he’d defeat the UFC lightweight champion in two rounds.
“You know I’m competitive,” De La Hoya said, per ESPN.com. “I still have it in me. I’ve been secretly training, secretly training. I’m faster than ever and stronger than ever. I know I can take out Conor McGregor in two rounds. I’ll come back for that fight. Two rounds. Just one more (fight).
“I’m calling him out. Two rounds, that’s all I need. That’s all I’m going to say. You heard it on Golden Boy Radio. Two rounds, that’s all I need.”
De La Hoya’s comments are somewhat surprising. Not just because he’s been retired for nearly a decade. But also because the 44-year-old, who’s now the CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, spoke out against the boxing match between McGregor and Floyd Mayweather Jr. in the months leading up to the August superfight, calling it a “farce” and a “circus” that could kill the sport altogether.
McGregor lost to Mayweather via a 10th-round TKO, and there’s now an expectation the UFC champ could return to the octagon for his next fight. But the August pay-per-view event drew huge numbers, so perhaps De La Hoya is looking for a piece of the pie by calling out the 29-year-old.
“Let’s get it straight. In the cage, he would freaking destroy me. He would freaking destroy me. Only in the ring,” De La Hoya said, per ESPN.com. “I’ve been working out for the last five months. (My confidence) is how I feel now from my training. I don’t know what it is, but I’ll tell you now that I’ve never felt so good before in my life.”
A person close to De La Hoya told ESPN that De La Hoya is seriously considering a return boxing, even if it’s not to fight McGregor.
