UFC boss Dana White has reportedly been abruptly removed from promoting the upcoming boxing match between Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford.
TKO Holdings, the parent company of UFC and WWE, had previously entered a multi-year partnership with Saudi Arabian official Turki Alalshikh to establish a boxing promotion.
This collaboration included plans for a boxing league similar in structure to UFC and the promotion of two major boxing events by TKO and White each year.
The highly anticipated fight between Canelo and Crawford was intended to be the inaugural event under this new venture. It was initially scheduled for Friday, September 12, at the Raiders Stadium in Las Vegas.
However, in a sudden turn, Alalshikh announced through Ring Magazine, which he owns, that the date for the bout was subject to change, potentially moving to Saturday, September 13. He also indicated that locations other than the Raiders Stadium, such as New York or Los Angeles, were being considered.
This news, coupled with the report that the fight would fall under the Riyadh Season banner and be a pay-per-view event, generated significant confusion.
These details suggested that White and Netflix might no longer be involved, especially given that UFC 320 is also slated for September 13, creating a direct conflict with the potential new date for Canelo-Crawford.
Alalshikh has now confirmed that Saudi-based Sela will promote the undisputed super-middleweight championship fight for Riyadh Season.
A broadcaster for the event has not yet been finalized, but Riyadh Season has an existing exclusive agreement with the sports streaming service DAZN, which operates a pay-per-view platform.
Netflix made its foray into boxing in November with the widely discussed exhibition bout between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul. That event reportedly attracted over 100 million viewers and even caused temporary streaming issues.
This series of events leaves the future of White and TKO`s involvement in boxing uncertain, despite their previous announcements about launching a new boxing league.
Adding to the complexity, on May 12, Alalshikh revealed plans to fly to New York, with White also posting a picture from the city shortly afterward.
It was understood that both Canelo, 34, and Crawford, 37, were expected to join them in New York to film promotional content with Netflix for the potential fight.
However, merely one day later, Alalshikh released the announcement indicating that the fight`s date and location were under review.
As of now, White has not made any public comments regarding his apparent removal from promoting this major boxing event or the status of his planned boxing league.
White has collaborated with Alalshikh on previous occasions, having hosted two UFC events in Riyadh in the past.
Canelo`s most recent fight was in early May, where he successfully defended his undisputed 168lb title against William Scull, 32. This fight was part of a four-bout deal with Alalshikh.
Meanwhile, Crawford last competed in August 2024, moving up to the 154lb division to claim the WBA title from Israil Madrimov, 30.
Percy Harlow