UFC President Dana White has reopened his feud with Oscar De La Hoya by branding the boxing legend a 'crackhead' and accusing him of feigning Covid-19.
White and De La Hoya have been embroiled in numerous verbal spats over the years, but even given their history the 52-year-old's latest outburst represents an extraordinary attack.
White was responding to a critical tweet from the boxing legend, which was posted on Sunday after featherweight Alexander Volkanovski beat Brian Ortega in the main event of UFC 266.
"Hey Alex Volkanovski you just won a brutal battle for UFC and made 1/20 of what you’re worth," wrote De La Hoya, 48.
"Dana White have some f****** respect for yourself and these fighters and pay these warriors what they deserve."
White didn't hold back in his reply, writing: "STFU U crack head. Faking that u had Covid and robbing me of watching u get KTFO by Vitor Belfort you should win an academy award for your hospital performance."
De La Hoya has publicly admitted to past problems with substance abuse and in both 2007 and 2013, underwent rehab at a drug and alcohol treatment facility. In 2018, he announced he had taken cocaine again.
However, De La Hoya was set to return to the ring in September, nearly 13 years after his last professional fight, to fight UFC star Belfort before announcing from his hospital bed that he was being treated for Covid-19.
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As a result, his place was taken by Evander Holyfield and in a farcical bout Belfort, 44, notched a first round win against a man 14 years his senior.
De La Hoya responded in kind to White's accusations, and accused him of ducking the issue of fighters' pay.
"That’s all you got Dana White?" he asked. "You’re accusing me of FAKING a virus that killed almost 700,000 Americans to avoid a fight?? You pathetic piece of s*** you’ve never even laced up the gloves. And you completely ignored my original point I made about UNDERPAYING YOUR FIGHTERS."
He wasn't done there, later retweeting an old picture of White working as a boxercise instructor.
De La Hoya sprang to fame in 1992 by winning Gold at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. He went on to win 11 world titles in six different weight classes and initially retired with a professional fight record of 39-6-0.
