Fantasy Boxing Matchup: Would Oscar De La Hoya beat Conor McGregor in 2020?

A few days back, Oscar De La Hoya made some headlines for telling the State of Combat podcast that he’d knock UFC star Conor McGregor out in two rounds if they were to meet in a boxing match.

McGregor said he’d take that challenge, and Oscar clarified that he wasn’t making a challenge, he had just been asked a question and answered in honest fashion with what he really believes.

De La Hoya is 47 years old and hasn’t fought competitively since 2008, when he was diced up and retired by Manny Pacquiao. The 31-year-old McGregor has only done one pro boxing match, back in 2017, losing to Floyd Mayweather via 10th round stoppage in a fight where the level of competitiveness is at least somewhat questionable, at least on one side of the ring that night, at least in my view.

But let’s say it actually happened in 2020. It won’t, because in the unlikely event it happened at all, it would require massive purses, which would require fans in attendance for gate money, and that’s not likely to be happening any time soon, at least not in a “pack the arena full” manner. (Plus we’d have to end the feud between Oscar and UFC President Dana White to even get a deal done, and I don’t think that’s happening.)

But LET’S JUST SAY, for the absolutely GD F of it here. Is De La Hoya right? With a full training camp, in good shape, would his boxing skills and instincts still be too much for McGregor, who is younger and in his physical prime? Conor hits hard and has an awkward style that doesn’t look anything like high-level boxing, which could give him some stylistic advantages in its weird way, but compared to even an aged De La Hoya, he’s really a novice boxer, with due respect to his striking skills.

If it were to happen now, the ages they are — but let’s say they’re both in good shape — who wins?