When it comes to protecting Golden Boy’s interests, Oscar De La Hoya is willing to take legal action when necessary. Days after he berated Dana White and the team over their upcoming White House card and suggested potential legal action, the former world champion-turned-promoter is finally following through on his warning, but not over that particular event.

According to BoxingScene, Oscar De la Hoya and his team are preparing to send a “cease-and-desist” letter to White and his Zuffa Boxing promotion for allegedly interfering with the Golden Boy fighter and WBC welterweight champion Ryan Garcia, particularly in relation to the negotiations surrounding his very first title defense against contender Conor Benn, who is a Zuffa signee.

“Golden Boy has not approved of or agreed to the terms of any such [Benn] bout, nor has Golden Boy been involved in the negotiations of any such bout,” Golden Boy Promotions’ attorney Ricardo P. Cestero noted in the letter, reviewed by BoxingScene. “Accordingly, Golden Boy hereby demands that you immediately cease and desist from any negotiations or discussions.”

The move stems from the reports De la Hoya recently became aware of. According to sources, Dana White and Zuffa Boxing were planning to publicly announce Garcia vs. Benn. That development left De la Hoya and his team surprised, as a fight involving their boxer was allegedly being arranged without their knowledge or approval.

Beyond being left out of negotiations that they have a contractual right to participate in, Golden Boy also pointed to Garcia’s obligations under existing DAZN agreements. Given Zuffa’s partnership with Paramount+, a fight with Benn cannot simply be arranged without Golden Boy Promotions’ involvement.

Notably, last year, De La Hoya had dismissed a matchup between Garcia and Jake Paul, given the latter’s major events were staged on Netflix. More importantly, this is not the first time De La Hoya has pushed back against outside promotional arrangements. He has taken similar measures before, including filing cease-and-desist notices.

One notable example came in 2019 and involved Floyd Mayweather. Oscar De La Hoya issued a cease-and-desist notice to Mayweather after he publicly offered Ryan Garcia $200,000 to fight another boxer, despite Garcia being contracted to Golden Boy Promotions.

More recently, Golden Boy took legal action against Vergil Ortiz’s manager for bypassing them during negotiations for Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis’ fight and speaking directly with Matchroom Boxing to finalize the bout.

The latest move also highlights De La Hoya’s campaign against White and parent company TKO Holdings, where he even traveled to Washington, D.C. to speak at a Senate hearing where he joined Nico Ali Walsh in voicing concerns about the TKO-backed Ali Revival Act. TKO owns the UFC and WWE and co-owns Zuffa Boxing.

While De La Hoya may still be weighing legal action, another promoter has already taken that step in England. A few days ago, BOXXER’s Ben Shalom initiated legal proceedings against Zuffa over its alleged interference and the poaching of two of his fighters.

Even amid their feud, Oscar De La Hoya sees a path forward with Dana White

Despite the escalating legal rhetoric, it does not mean all doors are shut for Garcia vs. Benn. In fact, De la Hoya’s comments in a separate interview suggest the opposite.

“This is the one thing I can tell you: We work with every promoter, even if it has to be Dana White and Zuffa,” he told Fight Hub TV. “As much as I hate it, let’s go. Why not? Because the fighters want this fight. Ryan wants it. You have to work with the promoters to make these fights happen. If that’s what Ryan wants, that’s what he’s going to get. It’s a matter of details, a matter that all parties are happy.

“Ultimately, there has to be a conversation, whether they like it or not. We’re going to be on stage together, maybe a few feet away. Maybe the news conference will be more interesting than the fight because of me and Dana White going at it. I’m ready. You know me.”

While De la Hoya has frequently targeted White during his Thursday ClapBack, his willingness to work with him suggests he recognizes that Zuffa Boxing is likely to remain a significant player in the sport. That is not entirely new territory to De La Hoya either.

For instance, he already worked with Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions to bring the fight with Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. to fruition last June.

For now, the legal dispute has added another layer of uncertainty to Garcia’s next move. More clarity on the situation is expected in the coming days.