Dana White appeared to mock Oscar de la Hoya's past struggles with addiction, saying the fighter is only making a comeback because 'cocaine isn't cheap'
- The UFC boss Dana White delivered a dig at Golden Boy Promotions founder Oscar de la Hoya at the weekend.
- A former six-weight world boxing champion, de la Hoya retired from fighting in 2008 to concentrate on his promotion firm.
- 47-year-old de la Hoya has long been rumored to be keen to return to the ring, and said earlier this month that he was going to start training imminently.
- White mocked de la Hoya's previous struggles with substance abuse, saying when asked for his thoughts on a comeback for the Golden Boy: "Cocaine isn't cheap"
Dana White said the former boxing champion Oscar de la Hoya, 47, is making a comeback because "cocaine isn't cheap."
A hugely accomplished boxer during his fighting heyday, de la Hoya won 11 world titles in six different weight classes through a 16-year period, competing against a who's who of modern-day greats including Julio Cesar Chavez Sr., Pernell Whitaker, Felix Trinidad, Floyd Mayweather, and Manny Pacquiao.
Though he hung up his gloves in 2008, he remains influential in the fight game because he founded the promotional vehicle Golden Boy Promotions.
De la Hoya now represents super prospect Virgil Ortiz Jr., the baby-faced assassin Ryan Garcia, and Insider's No.1 boxer in the world today Saul "Canelo" Alvarez.
Regardless, de la Hoya told Boxing Scene earlier this month that rumors of a personal comeback are true. "I'm going to start training in the next few weeks."
Asked about de la Hoya's comeback at a UFC press conference, White appeared to mock the American's previous struggles with substance abuse, saying: "Cocaine isn't cheap."
"It's expensive. You've got to make money."
White's comments are a clear dig at de la Hoya's well-documented struggles with addiction.
In a 2011 statement, after a three-month spell in a rehabilitation clinic, de la Hoya said that his life was a lie, that he liked to dress in women's clothes, had cheated on his wife, was addicted to alcohol, and that his drug of choice was cocaine.
"Addiction is the hardest battle of my life," de la Hoya said at the time.
Speaking to ESPN last week, de la Hoya said the reason for a comeback was because fighters in today's era are not at the standards he set two decades ago, and are motivated by money rather than glory.
"All these fighters are not of the level that was 15, 20 years [ago], all these fighters are demanding so much money, all these fighters are demanding the moon.
"And they're forgetting that you must train hard, you must work hard. So that's a huge advantage for me because I know what it takes to train hard, I know how to train smart. I know how to fight smart in the ring.
"These guys are in it just for the money … that'll be the big difference," he said. "I will fight for the glory, and these guys only fight for the money. And guess what? The glory will always win."
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