Oscar De La Hoya was forced to pull out of his upcoming fight against Vitor Belfort after he contracted COVID-19, and the boxing legend is understandably crushed.
De La Hoya shared a video from a hospital bed on Friday. The 48-year-old confirmed that he 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. pic.twitter.com/0wKEnr5Jzv
— Oscar De La Hoya (@OscarDeLaHoya) September 3, 2021
De La Hoya said in a follow-up tweet that he has been receiving treatment and is confident he will make a full recovery. He is still aiming to fight before the end of the year.
Evander Holyfield has agreed to take De La Hoya’s spot in the Sept. 11 bout against Belfort. The California State Athletic Commission will have to approve Holyfield, and the fight will reportedly be moved to a different state if California will not sanction it.
De La Hoya has not fought since 2008. He claimed to be in tremendous shape. His new girlfriend Holly Sonders recently shed some light on all the sacrifices De La Hoya has made while training.
