Oscar De La Hoya says he and Vitor Belfort will ‘beat the s—’ out of each other when they meet.
The former world boxing champion and the retired UFC fighter will meet on September 11 in a professional bout at cruiserweight.
Speaking ahead of the fight at a press conference, De La Hoya was clearly ready to get back in the ring after a decade away.
The 48-year-old American, six-division champion said: “When I see Belfort. I can see his eyes and I can see how proud he is of his legacy, and I feel that same way, too. So, I respect that.
“And that’s why I can say with true honesty that, yeah, we’re gonna beat the f— s— out of each other. Yes, it’s gonna be a lot of fun. But that’s what we love doing, you know? And that’s what drives us, you know? So, I’m looking forward to it. I really am.”
Belfort retired in 2018 after losing to Lyoto Machida, a decade after De La Hoya, but is only four years his junior at 44. As a UFC heavyweight he will now be fighting at a 180lbs limit, while De La Hoya’s usual ceiling until this fight has been 160lbs.
Despite the novelty surrounding the fight, De La Hoya claimed he was not taking the event lightly.
“This is not a game,” he said. “We don’t play boxing. We don’t play UFC. We don’t play MMA.
"I literally said, ‘Look, if we’re gonna do this, let’s do it for real. Let’s not do this song and dance. Let’s not do these exhibitions, you know, that we’re tired of.’ This is the real thing. And, the fact that Belfort feels great – I mean, look at him. I feel amazing. I feel literally better than ever. And the fact that we both agree that it’s gonna be a real fight, it’s gonna be a lot of fun.
“And I have no s— to talk about Belfort whatsoever. I respect you, brother, like there’s no tomorrow. But I’ll tell you one thing – we’re gonna kick the s— out of each other. That’s one thing for sure. And that’s what I’m actually looking forward to.
"Call me crazy, but I’m looking forward to it. I miss getting hit. For some strange reason I miss getting hit, so I mean, come September 11th, yeah, it’s gonna be a lot of fun.”