Oscar De La Hoya warns Zuffa Boxing could change fighter pay under Ali Act push

The current law, in place since 2000, was designed to protect fighters from exploitative contracts and ensure financial transparency between promoters and athletes. De La Hoya argued that altering those protections would benefit promoters aligned with the new model rather than fighters.

“They want to function just like the UFC,” De La Hoya said during his ‘Clapback Thursdays’ this week, warning that changes could lead to centralized control over rankings, titles, and pay structures. He added that such a system could reduce earning potential for fighters compared to the existing open-market model in boxing.

“They are literally coming into boxing to do the same thing they do to the UFC fighters. They make up their own rankings and their own rules,” said De La Hoya.

He has publicly linked the push for this bill to Dana White’s relationship with President Trump, suggesting that Zuffa is banking on those political ties to get the bill signed into law this year.

The House hearing he mentioned featured some surprising voices. While critics like Bob Arum and Eddie Hearn agree with Oscar, the bill actually had support from people like Lonnie Ali (Muhammad Ali’s widow) and Mike Tyson, who argued it “modernizes” the sport.

With the bill moving to the Senate, it sounds like Oscar’s trip to D.C. later this month will be his big chance to lobby against it before it hits the President’s desk.

No final decision has been made on the proposed amendments, which still require further legislative approval. De La Hoya indicated he intends to oppose the changes as the process moves forward.