Golden Boy Promotions Chairman and CEO Oscar De La Hoya gesture during a news conference for the bout between Canelo Alvarez and WBO light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev at the KA Theatre at MGM Grand Hotel & Casino on October 30, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Ethan Miller/Getty Images/AFP
MANILA, Philippines — More than a decade since his retirement, former boxing world champion Oscar De La Hoya still believes MMA superstar Conor McGregor wouldn’t stand a chance against him in a boxing match.
To be precise, De La Hoya said McGregor won’t last over a couple of rounds against him inside the ring event at his advanced age.
“Two rounds,” De La Hoya, who had predicted the same outcome in 2017, said recently in an episode of CBS Sports’ “State of Combat” podcast hosted by Brian Campbell.
The 47-year-old De La Hoya said what sets him different is his killer instinct, which would be a big reason why he would make quick work of McGregor.
“Oh, come on, brother. Two rounds. Because one thing about me, one thing about me, I went for the kill always. And look, Conor McGregor is – I love him in The Octagon. I respect him. I watch him all the time. But the boxing ring is a whole different story. It’s a whole different story.”
De La Hoya, a six-division champion and one of the best fighters of his generation, called it a career in April 2009 just four months after taking a beating at the hands of Manny Pacquiao.
Just last January, the 31-year-old McGregor made a triumphant return to The Octagon with a first-round demolition of Donald Cerrone in UFC 246.