Georges St Pierre almost agreed a deal to go toe-to-toe with Oscar De La Hoya in the ring, but Dana White wasn’t keen on the idea.
The potential bout pitted together two of the greatest competitors in combat sports history in a match-up that would’ve undoubtedly caught the imagination of the public.
Georges St Pierre almost fought Oscar De La Hoya
From Floyd Mayweather vs Conor McGregor to Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou, while crossover bouts aren’t always the greatest prospects on paper, they usually end up captivating the casual sports fan.
Therefore, if a clash between Georges St Pierre and Oscar De La Hoya had come to fruition, it would’ve likely done enormous numbers at the gate and on PPV.
At the peak of his powers, ‘The Golden Boy’ was something special. Blessed with lightning-hand speed and tremendous combinations, the Mexican-American made history, winning world titles in six weight classes.
Meanwhile, St Pierre carved out his own path, utilizing his grappling skills and karate-based style to dominate his opponents en route to conquering the UFC in two divisions.
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With humongous fan bases worldwide, the pair of sporting titans could have created an awe-inspiring spectacle.
Alas, it was taken away by Dana White, who didn’t think the bout made logical sense.
GSP told Covers: “I had an opportunity at one point to box against Oscar De La Hoya, and I was willing to do it. But that did not happen at the time, because I was under contract with the UFC, and Dana [White] didn’t want to do it. But it was modified boxing rules in a way that it was with bigger gloves. I can’t remember the terms of what it would’ve been. I think it was eight rounds.”
Ultimately, while ‘Rush’ gives credit to the boxing legend, he still wholeheartedly believes he could’ve upset the applecart.
He insisted: “In his prime, Oscar De La Hoya was a much better boxer than I could ever wish to be, but I just thought because of the time difference—that would give an edge to me.”
Could Georges St Pierre have beaten Oscar De La Hoya?
The bout between two of the best sportsmen the world has ever seen entered negotiations back in 2021.
At this point in time, St Pierre was four years removed from his stint as UFC middleweight champion, while De La Hoya had been away from his sport for much longer.
With the last fight of his career ending in a tough knockout defeat to Manny Pacquiao in 2008, the icon, who’d have been 48, would’ve entered the ring off the back of 13 years of inactivity.
In reality, with so much natural talent and skill, perhaps even at this stage of his life, he may have had enough to cruise past the mixed martial artist with ease.
On the other hand, perhaps the fight could’ve played out in a similar fashion to Vitor Belfort vs Evander Holyfield.
Ultimately, while many claim the Canadian was merely successful with his punches because he could blend it in with his wrestling, he definitely wasn’t unsophisticated when it came to striking.
Like GSP explained, in all likelihood, in his heyday, De La Hoya would’ve been far too much, but due to the timing of the event, there was a slim chance of an upset.
Ultimately, we’ll never know, but it goes without saying that neither man had anything to prove, with their incredible legacies already forged in fire.
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