They were once good friends, but eventually became rivals when their pay-per-view events were set down three weeks apart at the same venue, the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Golden Boy Promotions CEO Oscar De La Hoya finalized a date of September 16th, on HBO Pay-Per-View, for Saul "Canelo" Alvarez to challenge IBO, IBF, WBA, WBC middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin.
It wasn't long before UFC President Dana White reached a deal to have his company star, Conor McGregor, take on comebacking five division champion Floyd Mayweather on August 26th, on Showtime Pay-Per-View.
The close proximity of the events created tensions between the executives.
And De La Hoya was losing his cool, as Mayweather-McGregor dominated the press clippings all over the world - taking much of the attention away from Canelo-Golovkin.
Last Friday, on the day of the official weigh-in, De La Hoya took to social media and gave a big "f* you" to the Mayweather-McGregor event and slammed both fighters for taking part in what De La Hoya still feels was a fraud on the public.
White fired back in harsh terms, asking if De La Hoya was "snorting coke and drinking booze again" - dig at De La Hoya's past struggles with substance abuse.
“Just trying to defend my sport,” De La Hoya said to the MMA Hour. “My sport gave me everything I have. My sport allowed me to win an Olympic gold medal, to win 10 world titles in six different weight classes. I've been boxing since I was 4 years old. I was a little fed up by what was taking place. Obviously emotions run through my veins and I was just defending the sport that I dearly love.”
“I just brush off [what White said to me]. I never attacked him personally, whatsoever. I was obviously very disappointed by his words. But it is what it is. I'm gonna continue defending the sport of boxing, I'm gonna continue respecting the MMA. And move on to Sept. 16.”