Ryan Garcia Clarifies Oscar De La Hoya's Role in Benn Fight

Ryan Garcia (25-2, 20 KOs) has given a brief answer regarding Oscar De La Hoya's involvement in his September 12 title defense against Conor Benn. "Not a lot, I guess," Garcia said at the kickoff press conference in New York.

What happened?

Garcia's comments came after a press conference where he thanked Dana White and Turki Alalshikh from the stage, but failed to mention De La Hoya, his promoter since he turned professional. Guadalupe Valencia, Garcia's longtime attorney and advisor, provided a more detailed explanation of De La Hoya's role. "They're co-promoters with Ryan and our company, Ryan Garcia Promotions, so they're partners with us," Valencia said.

Why it matters for Ryan Garcia

The question of De La Hoya's involvement arose after weeks of public conflict between Golden Boy Promotions and Zuffa Boxing. Golden Boy sent a cease and desist letter to Zuffa Boxing, TKO Group Holdings, Paramount, and Sela in June, alleging interference with Garcia and asserting that his fights were contractually tied to Golden Boy's streaming partner.

What comes next?

Garcia will make the first defense of the WBC welterweight title against Benn (25-1, 14 KOs) at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, a card announced Wednesday that streams globally on Paramount+ and on DAZN in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Golden Boy Promotions and Zuffa Boxing are co-promoting, with both logos on the official poster.

Garcia's public thanks to White and Alalshikh, but not De La Hoya, have sparked questions about the role of his promoter in the upcoming fight. De La Hoya initially expressed skepticism about the fight, stating that he had "yet to be approached about making this fight" and adding, "Nobody's asking for this fight. The fans definitely not wanting this fight, and if it were up to me I would've picked Devin Haney for the rematch." However, once the fight was made, De La Hoya changed his tone in a social media post. "After long negotiations, Ryan Garcia vs Conor Benn is a done deal," he wrote. "Golden Boy Promotions and Sela made it happen. It's on, baby. T-Mobile Arena, September 12, let's go!"

The fight is set to take place on September 12 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

category: player_focus