Oscar De La Hoya is promoting Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz 3 next month, and took a moment to explain why that was the fight for Golden Boy Promotions to break into MMA.
Cageside Press had a chance to catch up with former boxing world champion and now promoter Oscar De La Hoya earlier this week, as Canelo Alvarez was presented with his Ring Magazine titles, among others. And of course, the subject of Ortiz vs. Liddell 3 came up — with De La Hoya explaining why this was the bout for Golden Boy to break into the MMA scene.
“You have two pioneers of the sport. Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell, when you talk about UFC, you have to mention Tito and Chuck,” De La Hoya explained. “These guys are legends, they’re fighters who people know when they step into the octagon, they give it their all.”
On that front, De La Hoya is absolutely correct. Both former UFC light heavyweight champions are legends of the sport. And Ortiz actually managed to have a late career resurgence in Bellator, going 3-1 in his run with Scott Coker’s promotion, even challenging for a title. Still, some might say this trilogy fight is a decade too late.
Liddell has not fought in eight years. He has not won a fight in over ten. However, as De La Hoya pointed out, “people know who they are across the globe. It’s like, for instance, when Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao fought, people thought that that fight was ten years overdue. This fight here, with Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell, they’re the biggest names in MMA history.”
“It’s incredible how people from all over the world, I’ve been traveling all over the world, have told me ‘wow, you’re doing Chuck Liddell-Tito Ortiz,'” De La Hoya continued. “People know who they are. People are excited for this fight.”
De La Hoya confirmed a twelve fight card for the event, which takes place November 24 in Los Angeles, CA, including amateurs. “People are going to be very happy. They’re going to be very pleased. At Golden Boy Promotions, I’m all about making the best fights happen,” the boxer-turned-promoter said. “I’ve already hired match-makers, MMA match-makers, some of the best, so we’re putting this card together as we speak, and we’ll have an announcement very soon.”
