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MMA legend Vitor Belfort has praised Golden Boy Promotions CEO Oscar De La Hoya for accepting a fight with him.
On September 11 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, De La Hoya will enter the ring for the first time since December 2008 – when he was battered and stopped by Manny Pacquiao.
De La Hoya, a six division world champion, will face Belfort in an eight round bout – which is scheduled at a catch-weight of 180-pounds.
While praising De La Hoya, the former UFC champion took a swipe at Floyd Mayweather – for his decision to face Youtube star Logan Paul last month in Florida.
Entering the bout, Paul was vastly inexperienced but had a significant size advantage – with at least a 40-pound edge when they stepped in the ring.
Belfort knows how to use his hands, with more knockout wins than any other fighter in UFC history.
“Oscar is fighting a real fighter. (He’s) not like Mayweather looking for a YouTuber who has one loss and zero wins. He’s fighting with the guy who holds the most knockouts in UFC history until today. He won gold medals, and I could not achieve that because this is one of the greatest things – to become an Olympian. So I think Oscar did everything. He is no doubt the best boxer of all time, and for me to be able to compete against him and be able to go toe-to-toe with the best boxer, it’s a dream come true, no doubt about it. But it’s hard work,” Belfort told MMA Junkie.
“I believe if he does so, he knows what’s going to be there. He explains that so I don’t see as hell. I don’t like hell. Hell is a place of negativity. I see a joy. For me, staying in the pocket is joyful. I was in the pocket with a lot of sparring partners fighting. I love it. It’s great. So remember, if you don’t have joy in what you do, what you do is a burden. So I describe hell as a negative, and I don’t let nothing come negative into my mind. I’m looking for war. I’m excited for it … I’m looking at this as a heavenly place for me to stay in the pocket with Oscar.”