BUZZ De La Hoya says 'the UFC is tanking' in jab at Dana White's Zuffa Boxing

Oscar De La Hoya used the Benavidez-Cieslak press event to go after Dana White's push into boxing, and he did it with a claim he did not back up. The Golden Boy promoter said the UFC was doing great while White focused on it and that now, "from what I hear, the UFC is tanking." He offered no numbers, so it stands as his assertion, according to Combat Sports UK.

The sharper target was Zuffa Boxing's handling of Shakur Stevenson. De La Hoya said he does not know whether Stevenson asked for his release or was simply let go, and that he wants to get to the bottom of it. That is the point where the two sides' accounts differ: White says he offered Stevenson his release, and Stevenson has said he asked for it. White also says Stevenson left without fighting once for the promotion.

De La Hoya also answered White's call to judge Zuffa Boxing by the end of the year, saying he has "tons of clapbacks." His broader argument was that White cannot simply repeat his UFC approach in boxing because the sport's history is too long, and that fighters do not want to be treated like UFC fighters.

Stevenson is now a free agent and the 29-year-old southpaw has a next fight booked against Raymond Muratalla. The WBO has ordered the two sides to agree terms by Nov. 16 or face a purse bid. Muratalla's trainer says Stevenson wanted the fight at 135 lb.

The event itself was for David Benavidez, who meets Michal Cieslak on Dec. 5 in Glendale, Arizona, for three cruiserweight belts on DAZN pay-per-view. Benavidez has said his team has talked to Usyk about a cruiserweight fight. Watch for White's response to De La Hoya, and for whether Zuffa Boxing has anything to show by year's end.