“Then you have Connor Benn,” De La Hoya told Fight Hub TV. “Connor Benn, who is to me, is that even possible? Well, it’s absolutely possible.”
At issue is whether the two sides can work through Benn’s Zuffa connection and Garcia’s position in the traditional title picture. De La Hoya scoffed at Zuffa’s belt setup, but invited White to make the call anyway.
“Ryan Garcia is fighting for all the belts,” De La Hoya said. “He’s fighting for the WBC, WBA, IBF. Connor Benn’s with the Zuffa belt, the unicorn pink Zuffa belt. So who knows if we can make that fight, but look, if Dana White wants to call me, then we can start talking. That’s the end.”
De La Hoya admitted there was a personal rivalry with White, but said it won’t stop him from doing business if the fight is there.
“It’s all about the fighters,” De La Hoya said. “It’s not about me and Dana. Me and Dana have a beef going on, which is actually a lot of fun for me. But it’s about the fighters. I can easily squash the beef just to make this fight happen.”
Benn’s next step remains unclear due to the Zuffa belt route, and De La Hoya again questioned whether this team wants to chase the established titles.
“The fact that Connor Benn is fighting for the Rainbow Belt or the Unicorn Belt at Zuffa, I don’t know what their plans are,” De La Hoya said. “If they even want to fight for the WBC or the WBA, IBF, WBO. So whatever. Dana, call me. It’s all good.”
The Haney rematch still appears to be De La Hoya’s preferred business play for Ryan. But Benn lives on if White is willing to pick up the phone.
