Â鶹´«Ã½

Skip to main content

De La Hoya hospitalized with COVID-19, withdraws from fight with Belfort

Share
LOS ANGELES -

Oscar De La Hoya is hospitalized with a COVID-19 infection and has withdrawn from his fight next weekend in Los Angeles, the 48-year-old said in a and posted to social media on Friday.

The Sept. 11 fight against former UFC champion Vitor Belfort would have marked the Hall of Fame boxer's return to the ring for the first time since 2008.

De La Hoya said he was fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before contracting the virus.

"What are the chances of me getting COVID?" an exhausted looking De La Hoya said in a brief video.

"I've been taking care of myself and this really, really kicked my ass."

De La Hoya thanked his fans for their support as he has worked toward the comeback and said he expects to return to the ring "before the year is up."

Former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield, 58, has reportedly agreed to step in and face Belfort, although it is unclear whether the Triller Fight Club pay-per-view fight will be held in Los Angeles or move to Florida.

Holyfield's last fight was in 2011, a TKO victory over Brian Nielsen.

De La Hoya's last professional fight was a loss to Manny Pacquiao in 2008.

(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles)

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Two and a half years after losing her best friend and first love to suicide, Brooke Ford shared her story of grief and resilience at the CMHA Windsor-Essex Suicide Awareness Walk.

opinion

opinion How to make the most out of your TFSA

The Tax-Free Savings Account can be a powerful savings tool and investment vehicle. Financial contributor Christopher Liew explains how they work and how to take full advantage of them so you can reach your financial goals faster.

British Columbia saw a rare unanimous vote in its legislature in October 2019, when members passed a law adopting the United Nations Declarations on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, setting out standards including free, prior and informed consent for actions affecting them.

An Ottawa driver has been charged with stunt driving after being caught going 154 km/h on Highway 417, according to the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).

Local Spotlight

When a group of B.C. filmmakers set out on a small fishing boat near Powell River last week, they hoped to capture some video for a documentary on humpback whales. What happened next blew their minds.

A tale about a taxicab hauling gold and sinking through the ice on Larder Lake, Ont., in December 1937 has captivated a man from that town for decades.

A pizza chain in Edmonton claims to have the world's largest deliverable pizza.

Sarah McLachlan is returning to her hometown of Halifax in November.

Wayne MacKay is still playing basketball twice at Mount Allison University at 87 years old.

A man from a small rural Alberta town is making music that makes people laugh.

An Indigenous artist has a buyer-beware warning ahead of Sept. 30, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

Police are looking to the public for help after thieves broke into a Lethbridge ice creamery, stealing from the store.

An ordinary day on the job delivering mail in East Elmwood quickly turned dramatic for Canada Post letter carrier Jared Plourde. A woman on his route was calling out in distress.

Stay Connected