Oscar De La Hoya does not reject Ryan Garcia’s announcement about a September fight against Conor Benn, even if he stopped short of officially confirming it himself.
Ryan appeared on NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon this week and stated that he will fight Benn on September 12th. Asked directly about the situation Friday night, De La Hoya seemed caught off guard by the public announcement, but made it clear he had no problem 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,” De La Hoya told 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 collaboration if it leads to the fight being made.
“Dana White is a neanderthal, but I will still work with him to make the fights happen,” said De La Hoya. “But we never fight for the Zuffa belt. It’s just a unicorn belt.”
Ryan captured the WBC welterweight title earlier this year and has repeatedly said he wants to stay active against big names. Benn has also called for marquee fights in recent years after rebuilding momentum with wins following his lengthy suspension saga.
“The WBC belt is what Ryan wants; it’s what he loves, and it’s what he’s going to defend,” De La Hoya said. “But if it’s Conor Benn, it’s Conor Benn.”
Garcia’s comments about Fallon were the first public indication that a Benn fight was already set for September 12th. De La Hoya’s response suggested that negotiations may not be done yet, but he gave no indication that Golden Boy would stand in the way if Ryan pushed for the fight.
Oscar De La Hoya on Garcia 🆚 Benn 👀#JonesGualtieri | Live NOW DAZN ▪️ pic.twitter.com/enKQY2JNtg
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) May 23, 2026
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Last updated on 2026/05/22 at 23:48
