Boxing legend Oscar De La Hoya announced Friday from a hospital bed that he has tested positive for COVID-19 — and that he has pulled out of his upcoming comeback fight with Vitor Belfort.
“I mean what are the chances of me getting COVID,” De La Hoya said in a video of himself in a hospital bed posted to Twitter. “I’ve been taking care of myself and this really, really kicked my ass.”
—Oscar De La Hoya (@OscarDeLaHoya) September 3, 2021
De La Hoya tweeted that despite being fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, he caught COVID and won’t 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,” the 48-year-old said.
In another tweet, De La Hoya added, “I am currently in the hospital getting treatment and am confident I will be back in the ring before the year is up. God bless everyone and stay safe.”
De La Hoya had been scheduled to fight Belfort, the former UFC light heavyweight champion, on Sept. 11.