Oscar De La Hoya has been forced to pull out of his comeback fight against Vitor Belfort next weekend in Los Angeles after testing positive for coronavirus. 

Nicknamed the 'Golden Boy of boxing', De La Hoya, who won 11 world titles in six weight classes, was due to fight the former UFC fighter under the Triller Fight Club banner on September 11. 

The 48-year-old shared a video from hospital detailing his experience after contracting the illness earlier this week. 

De La Hoya wrote on Twitter: "Wanted you to hear directly from me that despite being fully vaccinated, I have contracted Covid and am not going to 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."

"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," he added.

In the video posted on his official Twitter account, he can be seen lying in a hospital bed with a heartrate monitor and intravenous drip.

De La Hoya, who boasts wins over Hector Camacho and Julio Cesar Chavez, told his followers that 'this really, really kicked my a--'. 

He said: "I mean, what are the chances of me getting Covid? I've been taking care of myself and this really, really kicked my a---."

Evander Holyfield is stepping in on short notice to replace De La Hoya against Belfort, according to reports.  

Holyfield, 58, had reportedly been in talks for a trilogy fight with Mike Tyson, but it seems neither party were able to reach an agreement.  

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