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Oscar De La Hoya has tested positive for COVID-19. The 48-year-old is currently being treated in hospital. He expects himself to be back in the boxing ring before the end of the year.
De La Hoya was set to make a comeback on September 11 against Vitor Belfort. Former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield will step in as a late-replacement to face the Brazilian.
Taking to his Twitter account, De La Hoya revealed that he's tested positive for COVID-19 despite being fully vaccinated.
"Wanted you to hear directly from me that despite being fully vaccinated, I have contracted Covid and am not going to be able to fight next weekend. Preparing for this comeback has been everything to me over the last months, & I want to thank everyone for their tremendous support." Wrote De La Hoya.
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'The Golden Boy' also made it clear that he is confident about making a comeback later this year.
"I am currently in the hospital getting treatment and am confident I will be back in the ring before the year is up. God bless everyone and stay safe."
De La Hoya's comeback fight was initially reported to be against UFC great Georges St-Pierre. 'Rush', who is still under contract with the UFC, was not granted permission to compete against De La Hoya by the Dana White-led promotion.
When was Oscar De La Hoya's last fight?
Oscar De La Hoya last stepped into the ring in 2008. His opponent was Manny Pacquiao.
After losing his rematch to Shane Mosley in 2003, De La Hoya was largely inconsistent with his performances. He won three of his five fights before taking on Pacquiao.
It was the legendary Filipino who dictated the pace of the fight. He repeatedly caught De La Hoya with lightning-quick combinations and also displayed sharp head movement.
As the fight progressed further, Oscar De La Hoya struggled to keep up with Pacquiao's pace as he continued to get outboxed. After the eighth round, the Mexican-American's corner threw in the towel, securing the victory for 'Pac Man'.
It was the most-watched pay-per-view event of the year in 2008. According to HBO, who held the broadcasting rights, Oscar De La Hoya vs. Manny Pacquiao sold 1.25 million pay-per-view buys.
