Dana White Denies Blocking De La Hoya From Garcia Fight

Dana White, the head of Zuffa Boxing, has publicly denied reports that he barred Oscar De La Hoya from attending the Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn fight on Saturday night. The denial comes amid widespread speculation about the Golden Boy Promotions founder's unexplained absence from the event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. De La Hoya had posted a video on Friday night from Las Vegas, promising a "big surprise" for fight night. However, he did not appear at the event, which saw Garcia defend his WBC welterweight title with a second-round knockout of Benn. Garcia later revealed he had expected De La Hoya to attend and had even invited him to participate in his ring walk. The absence fueled rumors, including a report from boxing journalist Dan Rafael, that De La Hoya had been denied credentials for the Zuffa Boxing-promoted card. Speaking to media after the fight, White directly addressed the speculation. "I heard there's some rumblings," White said. "Let me explain something to you. I do not like De La Hoya, and De La Hoya does not like me. I would never disrespect him and say, 'Oh, he shows up here and we treat him like shit.