Oscar De La Hoya is promising big bucks for Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz.
The Golden Boy Promotions head told Luke Thomas on Monday’s editIon of The MMA Hour that Liddell and Ortiz — both UFC legends and Hall of Famers — will make the most money they’ve ever made for a bout in their trilogy fight. Liddell vs. Ortiz 3 is scheduled for Nov. 24 under the Golden Boy banner at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif. The card will air on pay-per-view.
“The message I want to send here is Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz, this trilogy with this fight taking place, they’re gonna make the most money they’ve ever made in their entire careers,” De La Hoya said. “It’s incredible. I’m actually mind blown by that, because i would have thought with Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell — with two names like that — they would have made a lot more money in their careers.”
Liddell and Ortiz both told MMA Fighting on Tuesday at a media workout at Kings MMA in West Hollywood, Calif., that they both could make the most they’ve ever made. But that is contingent on how well the pay-per-view will sell.
Liddell vs. Ortiz 3 will be available for $49.99. That cost has come under some criticism from fans, who have complained about a relatively thin undercard and Liddell and Ortiz being past their athletic primes. Liddell is 48 years old and has not fought since 2010. Ortiz fought in 2017, but is 43 years old.
De La Hoya, though, believes nearly $50 is the correct value for the pay-per-view event.
“We’ve been staging fights at a price point lately at around $80, $75, $69,” De La Hoya said. “Let’s give the fans a break here. Let’s give the fans a break and not charge those crazy numbers. So we came up with that price point, which I think is perfect. You’re gonna be able to watch some great, great fights with the headliner being a terrific trilogy, which I strongly feel that this fight can obviously go either way.
“Tito Ortiz looks in phenomenal shape and Chuck Liddell, I call him ‘Chucky’ because he just keeps on coming. This guy is just in incredible, incredible shape. I think that price point is perfect. People are responding very well. The indications are that it’s gonna do some great, great numbers.”
De La Hoya is 45 — three years younger than Liddell. But he said he does not believe Liddell is at an inherent disadvantage and “The Iceman” has passed all the necessary medicals administered by the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC).
“Right now, if I train a couple months, three months, I can go 10 rounds,” De La Hoya said. “I can go in there with the best. That would be no problem, but I would have to be disciplined and dedicated and just focused on it 1000 percent and it would be no problem. Why limit yourself to age?”
The main thing De La Hoya wants to underscore with this event is that Liddell and Ortiz will be sharing in the money garnered from the pay-per-view, in what is somewhat of a shot at the UFC.
“I’m a promoter that loves to share all revenues and whatever revenues are coming in, we’re gonna share it,” De La Hoya said. “It’s not about the promoter, it’s about the fighters. And that’s exactly why, for instance, Golden Boy Promotions has been very successful, because we treat our fighters the way they should be treated. The fighters are the ones who make these events happen. This is a great indication that, look we’re letting Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell participate in the pay-per-view revenues from top to bottom, they’re gonna be able to make tons of money. The best purse they’ve ever made in their careers.”