Oscar De La Hoya confirms he's coming out of retirement

A showdown between legendary boxer Oscar De La Hoya and former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor could be in the works, after all. 

The 47-year-old De La Hoya confirmed to ESPN's Steve Kim on Wednesday that he's ending his retirement. "The rumors are true, and I'm going to start sparring in the next few weeks," De La Hoya said. 

De La Hoya hasn't competed in an official bout since December 2008, but he told ESPN he's not coming back for a gimmicky contest or a non-licensed event that won't count on his record. 

"It's a real fight," he explained. "I miss being in the ring, I love boxing. Boxing is what gave me everything I have today, and I just miss it."

In May, De La Hoya said on the CBS Sports' "State of Combat" podcast that he could knock McGregor out in two rounds. The 32-year-old outspoken Irishman responded via Twitter: 

"I accept your challenge, Oscar de la Hoya." 

It's understandable why De La Hoya would be eager to fight McGregor, who is a trained striker but far from a top-tier professional boxer. ESPN and other outlets reported that the Aug. 26, 2017 boxing match between McGregor and Floyd Mayweather Jr. generated over four million domestic pay-per-view buys and over $600 million in total revenue, thanks largely to McGregor's promotional skills and ability to sell a fight he never had any real chance of winning.