Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather accused of 'disrespecting boxing' by Oscar De La Hoya in foul-mouthed rant

Former boxing great launches explicit rant at both fighters

Oscar De La Hoya has hit out at Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather (Getty)

Former boxing legend Oscar De La Hoya launched a foul-mouthed attack on both Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor ahead of their headline fight in Las Vegas, with the American accusing the pair of “disrespecting the sport of boxing”.

Six-weight world champion De La Hoya, who retired in 2009 following an iconic bout with Mayweather, has turned his hand to promoting since hanging up the gloves, but he has been vocal in his displeasure at the fight against UFC star McGregor taking place.

The build-up to the bout has seen plenty of controversy, with accusations of racism and sexism tarnishing the three-stop world tour between Mayweather and McGregor. But that has not stopped the bout being built-up as the biggest sporting event of the year, something which clearly doesn’t sit well with 44-year-old De La Hoya.

The Californian fronts Golden Boy Promotions, and he is busy promoting the eagerly anticipated bout between Gennady Golovkin and Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez next month in a fight widely regarded as a clash between two of the best pound-for-pound boxers on the planet until Mayweather came out of retirement.

That’s why it was no surprise when De La Hoya took to Twitter ahead of the fight to lash out at both Mayweather and McGregor, along with using the opportunity to try and build up excitement for next month’s encounter in Las Vegas.

“F*** YOU #MayweatherVsMcGregor BOTH OF YOU ARE DISRESPECTING THE SPORT OF BOXING #CaneloGGG Sept 16th,” wrote De La Hoya.

After turning professional in 1992 following his Olympic triumph at the Barcelona Games, De La Hoya went on to win world titles at six different weights and is regarded as one of the finest boxers to have graced the ring.

Oscar De La Hoya fought Mayweather in 2007 (Getty)

He fought both Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao in the final stages of his career, while his victories over Ricardo Mayorga, Julio Cesar Chavez and Javier Castillejo were standout moments in a decorated career.