Recently former boxing champion turned boxing promoter Oscar De La Hoya ventured into the world of mixed martial arts promotion when he staged the Chuck Liddell vs Tito Ortiz trilogy fight in California.
The fight resulted in a quick knockout win for Ortiz and the event received a lot of back lash afterwards about how it was promoted in terms of Oscar not knowing the names of some fighters at the pre-fight press conference to how it was even sanctioned by the California Commission in the first place given Chuck’s advanced years being close to 50 years old.
The likes of UFC President Dana White widely commended the event as well as renewing his bitter ongoing personal feud with De La Hoya in the media thereafter.
De La Hoya for his part claimed the event was a success and that if White kept talking that he would promote another MMA card in the future.
Former UFC fighter Chael Sonnen has now taken issue with Ortiz who was involved in the event and has claimed it bankrupted Golden Boy.
Speaking on the Chael Sonnen YouTube channel ‘The Bad Guy’ claimed:
“They papered the house and the building looked like they were dressed up as empty seats. They papered the house. They did did a black Friday special (ticket discount) which is humiliating and embarrassing and it was in your back yard (California). Imagine if they came to West Linn (Oregon, where Sonnen is from) — that place is going to be packed! They did it in your back yard, gave tickets away and you still couldn’t fill the house. As a matter of fact, you bankrupted a company. You sent Golden Boy Promotions to its death.”
Not long after before event De La Hoya announced a new deal for Canelo Alvarez on DAZN which perhaps came at the perfect time for Oscar and Golden Boy Promotions.
