Triller Announced Oscar De La Hoya Return Wednesday

The return to the ring of Hall of Famer Oscar De La Hoya is now official, and instead of Las Vegas, he will actually have a “home game” this September.

This after Triller and their “Fight Club” series made it official Wednesday afternoon that his eight round main event bout with former UFC champ, Vitor Belfort will now take place at Staples Center in Los Angeles,

Saturday, SEPT 11 #TrillerFightClub presents LEGENDS II 🔥🔥
The King of PPV, Boxing's own 'Golden Boy' @OscarDeLaHoya vs ‘The Phenom’ former UFC Superstar @VitorBelfort LIVE at the @STAPLESCenter 🥊

TXT 'FIGHT' to 75303 for updates! pic.twitter.com/w4iOYWg01Y

— Triller Fight Club (@trillerfight) July 21, 2021

Earlier Wednesday, ESPN insider Mike Coppinger reported that the former six division World Champion is insisting that the bout now not be an exhibition, but an actual eight, two-minute round sanctioned contest from the state of California at the “catchweight” of 180 lb.

“I decided if I was coming back, it was for real, none of this exhibition stuff,” De La Hoya said to Coppinger.

As we wrote previously, De La Hoya has been contemplating some version of a comeback since last Summer. This despite having not fought, exhibition or otherwise, since Manny Pacquiao defeated him in 2008.

De La Hoya made an abrupt announcement of his in-ring return during the Triller press conference to promoting their April Pay-Per-View headlined by actor/Youtuber Jake Paul and former MMA fighter, Ben Askren. De La Hoya said at that time, simply, “July 3rd, I’m making my comeback.” Then, he literally dropped the microphone and walked off the stage.

Obviously, the fight was delayed and eventually set for September. There had been talk that Triller would put the delayed Undisputed Lightweight title fight with Teofimo Lopez and George Kambosos on the September 11th with De La Hoya’s return. However, that is not going to be the case.

As for Belfort, he’s a 44 year old MMA fighter. He previously won the UFC Light Heavyweight title, but hasn’t been in any type of cage-fight, etc., since May of 2018. Belfort, who is Brazilian, does have a brief amateur background as a boxer in his teenage years. He also fought one time with a first round KO in a pro boxing match in Brazil in 2006.

Triller further announced that tickets to see the 48 year old De La Hoya battle in his hometown will go on sale on Friday. It’s expected that several musical acts will accompany the boxing, as Triller has done in the past.