Oscar De La Hoya hosts an exhibition boxing match with former UFC champion Vitor Belfort in September

Oscar De La Hoya is back. The “golden boy” will return to the boxing ring at the age of 48 on Sept. 11 against former UFC head coach Vitor Belfort, according to several reports. Athletic’s Mike Coppinger he was the first to report the news.

The pair will face off at an exhibition with 12-ounce gloves at an event at the Triller PPV program in Las Vegas. De La Hoya has not fought professionally since losing TKO to Manny Pacquiao in 2008. She participated in an exhibition with Shaquille O’Neal in 2009. Belfort, meanwhile, signed an agreement with the ONE Championship in 2020 in hopes of fighting for MMA. promotion in the same year. However, he was left with little to no promotion. Belfort signed a June 19 card featuring Teofimo Lopez and George Kambosos to face Mike Holston on June 19, but the card was delayed after Lopez tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this week.

Belfort has apparently been struggling to get into the boxing show boom for months, now canceling the fight before competing with Holston social media star and animal advocate. Recently, Belfort said Logan and Jake Paul could be eliminated the same night, before former MMA fighters Ben Askren and Tyron Woodley Jake recently criticized their opponents. calling “The worst representation of MMA”.

De La Hoya long ago teased the return of the square circle in hopes of attracting a renowned MMA fighter as an enemy. Georges St-Pierre said UFC president Dana White prevented him from taking part in a match like this last month.