Morning Report: Oscar De La Hoya calls Zuffa Boxing ‘Trojan Horse’ designed to exploit fighters
Oscar De La Hoya has escalated his criticism of Dana White's Zuffa Boxing venture, comparing the promotion to a Trojan Horse designed to lure fighters into unfavourable long-term arrangements.
Speaking via Instagram video, the boxing legend invoked Christopher Nolan's *The Odyssey* to illustrate his argument. De La Hoya contends that Zuffa Boxing is using inflated short-term paydays to high-profile signings like Shakur Stevenson, Conor Benn, and Jai Opetaia as bait to attract younger fighters, only to cut pay drastically once the promotion establishes market dominance—a playbook he says mirrors the UFC's approach to fighter compensation.
"They are overpaying a few boxers to make it seem like this big money will continue, but it won't," De La Hoya said. "Once they monopolize the sport like they want to, Zuffa will pay fighters peanuts, exactly like the UFC." He cited the short-term, fight-by-fight nature of deals offered to major signings as evidence of the strategy, noting the absence of long-term contracts.
De La Hoya also accused Zuffa Boxing of manufacturing its own regulatory framework to bypass traditional boxing governance. He pointed to Jai Opetaia's case, claiming that Ring Magazine should have stripped him of his title under standard rules requiring defence against top-five contenders within two years, but failed to do so because Zuffa controls the narrative. The IBF, however, did strip Opetaia of its belt over the promotion's unrecognized "unicorn belt," De La Hoya noted—and suggested Opetaia is now fighting a legal battle on Zuffa's behalf against sanctioning bodies.
Since launching over a year ago, Zuffa Boxing has made headlines for securing major boxers on lucrative contracts, reigniting debate about fighter pay across combat sports. De La Hoya's warning echoes broader concerns that the UFC's business model—low average fighter wages despite substantial revenue—could be replicated in boxing if White's promotion achieves monopolistic control.
