DANA WHITE has insisted he WILL promote the Canelo Alvarez vs Terence Crawford fight – marking yet another twist.
Canelo is due to defend his undisputed super-middleweight titles against unbeaten American Crawford in September.
And Saudi boxing supremo Turki Alalshikh – the financial backer behind the bout – initially announced that UFC boss White would promote.
The super-fight was set for the Las Vegas Raiders’ NFL stadium with Netflix on board to broadcast that bout.
That was until Alalshikh made a U-turn and claimed Saudi-based Sela would promote and it would instead be on pay-per-view.
White was probed on Alalshikh’s comments after UFC 316 – but hit back to maintain he will be involved in the fight.
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He said: “I’m promoting the fight. I’ll let you guys know when it’s time to let you guys know.”
TKO Holdings – who own the UFC and WWE – signed a multi-year partnership to establish a boxing promotion alongside Saudi Arabia’s Turki Alalshikh.
As well as a UFC-style boxing league, two super-fights were set to be promoted by TKO and White every year.
And Canelo’s blockbuster against Crawford was due to kickstart the partnership.
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Then all of a sudden, Alalshikh told Ring Magazine – which he owns – that the date of the bout was set to change.
And he was also considering having the bout move to New York or Los Angeles – opposed to the £1.5BILLION, 65,000-seat Raiders Stadium.
It caused huge confusion with the news the fight would also be under the Riyadh Season banner and on PPV – suggesting White and Netflix were out of the picture.
But, White clarified: “Listen, when we’re at work in UFC headquarters, I’m in my own little world, man. I don’t pay attention to any of that s***.
“I know what’s going on, I know what we’re doing, I don’t really pay attention to that stuff.”
Alalshikh also posted: “My brother Dana will promote this fight It is the fight of Riyadh Season, and we have a deal with TKO to promote it and it will the biggest fight in boxing, and tomorrow I think I will tell the details and the platform and the place for this fight, me and and Dana.”
White has partnered with Alalshikh before having held two events in Riyadh in the past.
Canelo, 34, beat William Scull, 32, to regain the 168lb undisputed crown in early May as part of his four-bout deal with Alalshikh.
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Meanwhile Crawford, 37, has not fought since moving up to 154lb to win the WBA title against Israil Madrimov, 30, in August 2024.
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
