- Ryan Garcia asked Dana White to let him fight Sean O’Malley in the Octagon
- O’Malley is set to make his first title defense against Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera in March
- DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news
Boxing legend turned promoter Oscar De La Hoya proposed an MMA bout between himself and UFC president Dana White.
Golden Boy’s pitch came days after his client Ryan Garcia pleaded with White to let him fight UFC bantamweight king Sean O’Malley in the Octagon. Should the two high-level strikers meet in the cage, the 51-year-old believes he and White are the rightful co-headliners.
De La Hoya appeared on the MMA Hour on Monday and pitched his idea to host Ariel Helwani.
‘I would actually entertain that because Ryan can fight in the main event with this kid. And maybe I could do Dana on the co-main,’ De La Hoya said.
With White and De La Hoya’s sour history, Helwani pointed out how the event would be impossible to pull off. However, De La Hoya insisted that he and the UFC president are ‘cool’.
Oscar De La Hoya challenged UFC president Dana White to fight on the MMA Hour on Monday
![De La Hoya said he and White should co-headline if Ryan Garcia vs Sean O'Malley materializes](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/02/26/23/81747833-13128837-image-a-17_1708989188095.jpg)
De La Hoya said he and White should co-headline if Ryan Garcia vs Sean O’Malley materializes
‘We’re cool. I mean, I don’t know if we’re cool. I don’t even talk to the guy,’ De La Hoya claimed.
‘You put out a thing where you said you wanted to bury the hatchet,’ Helwani pointed out.
‘Yeah, I’m good. But it doesn’t mean that we can’t go at it.’
Garcia’s desire to fight O’Malley in the UFC came to light during the build-up to his fight with Devin Haney on April 20. On the other hand, O’Malley is making his first title defense against Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera at UFC 299 on March 9.
![Garcia claimed that he wants to fight O'Malley in the UFC while preparing to fight Devin Haney](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/02/26/23/81747875-13128837-image-a-18_1708989198802.jpg)
Garcia claimed that he wants to fight O’Malley in the UFC while preparing to fight Devin Haney
![O'Malley will make his first UFC title defense against Marlon 'Chito' Vera at UFC 299 in March](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/02/26/23/81747897-13128837-image-a-19_1708989202065.jpg)
O’Malley will make his first UFC title defense against Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera at UFC 299 in March
‘I’d fight Sean O’Malley in the UFC that’s it but Dana you’d have to cut me that real check,’ Garcia tweeted on Saturday. He also appeared on Helwani’s program on Monday and doubled down on his take, saying ‘I’d beat his a** in MMA, guaranteed.’
‘Brother I KILL YOU within minutes,’ O’Malley wrote in response.
While his fighter trades verbal jabs with O’Malley, De La Hoya acknowledged the rising UFC star’s talent in the same interview.
‘I like him, he’s a good striker,’ De La Hoya said. ‘It would be a hell of a promotion.’
***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk