Dana White: 'I'm praying' Oscar De La Hoya gets 'viciously' knocked out by Vitor Belfort

What would UFC president Dana White like to see happen in the upcoming boxing match between Oscar De La Hoya and Vitor Belfort? You probably already had a good idea, but in case not, White made it very clear Tuesday.

“I’m praying Vitor knocks this crackhead out – and viciously,” White said on “The Pat McAfee Show.” He added, “Viciously knocks him out.”

De La Hoya, the 48-year-old former boxing champion, and Belfort, the 44-year-old former UFC light heavyweight champ, are booked to headline a Triller Fight Club pay-per-view Sept. 11 at Staples Center in Los Angeles. For De La Hoya, it’ll be his first fight since a December 2008 loss to Manny Pacquiao. Belfort will enter a professional boxing match for just the second time in his career, the first being a 2006 knockout win.

White has a history of feuding with De La Hoya in recent years – seemingly about everything under the sun – which makes his wish of a Belfort knockout no surprise. But White also was willing to give credit to De La Hoya as an all-time great boxer and perhaps won’t be holding his breath at seeing that outcome.

“As much as I can’t stand that dirt bag, De La Hoya is legit,” White said. “Back in the day when me and De La Hoya were cool, I actually was up in his camp. Just his jab could knock people out. De La Hoya in his prime was the real deal. This is a real fight between two real guys. I think that Vitor obviously has the power to KO him, but De La Hoya’s no joke, either.”

Still, that didn’t stop White from taking a shot at De La Hoya’s past issues with substance abuse.

“Hopefully all the coke sniffing and tequila drinking and whatever other sh*t that guy has been up to has caught up with him,” White said, “and Vitor lays one right on the big mouth of his and knocks him unconscious.”