Oscar De La Hoya commends UFC President Dana White for “phenomenal job” during pandemic

Boxing promoter and former champion Oscar De La Hoya has praised former rival Dana White for his handling of the UFC during the pandemic.

De La Hoya and White have been embroiled in a bitter feud for quite some time now, to the point where there was even talk that they could settle the score in the boxing ring. Alas, it appears as if the passing of time is starting to heal the wounds.

During a recent appearance on CBS Sports’ State of Combat Podcast, De La Hoya was more than happy to say some nice things regarding White’s determination to put on events in the midst of the current climate.

“I commend and respect Dana,” De La Hoya said of White (via MMA Junkie). “We did have our differences. When I wanted to get involved with the MMA, I did Chuck Liddell (vs.) Tito Ortiz. It was a huge success. I dipped my toes into the water, and I experienced it. It was actually wonderful. I love the MMA.

“Dana came out and criticized me and ridiculed me and all that stuff,” De La Hoya added. “You know what? Dana is doing a phenomenal job in defending his sport, growing his sport, and he’s doing it big. He’s doing it great, man. I commend him.”

White probably isn’t going to care all too much about what De La Hoya has to say, but more and more critics do appear to be showing some respect towards White and his business dealings in recent weeks.

Of course, it’ll be interesting to see whether or not that trend continues if there are any lasting effects coming out of UFC 249 from a health standpoint. Still, if Oscar De La Hoya can show some positivity towards a man he seemingly hates, then quite literally anything is possible.

This article first appeared on BJPENN.com on 5/4/2020.