Canelo-Crawford, with Dana White co-promoting, changed to pay-per-view –\u00a0opposite UFC 320
The TKO Boxing era is off to a start potentially rife with behind-the-scenes eyebrow raising.
Earlier this month, Canelo Alvarez vs. Terrance Crawford was announced for Sept. 12 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. The super-middleweight will have the Ring, WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO titles on the line.
It also was announced that UFC CEO Dana White will be promoting Canelo vs. Crawford under TKO Boxing, a recently announced promotion between UFC parent company TKO and Saudi Arabia's Turki Alalshikh. This bout marks the first event for the TKO Boxing brand.
The Sept. 12 in Las Vegas that initially was announced is a Friday. But Tuesday, it was reported by Ring Magazine – which Alalshikh purchased in 2024 – that Alalshikh has decided to move the Canelo-Crawford fight to Sept. 13, instead of Sept. 12. And that means the event will go head-to-head with the UFC 320 pay-per-view set for Guadalajara, Mexico, that same night – the annual Noche UFC event to mark Mexican Independence Day.
According to the report, Alalshikh said the event will be in New York, Los Angeles or Las Vegas. In addition, instead of potential alternative broadcast options like a stream on Netflix, the boxing card will be a pay-per-view.
That means combat sports fans will be in position to choose between spending pay-per-view dollars on White's UFC brand, potentially at the expense of TKO Boxing – or TKO Boxing at the expense of the UFC.
When White's involvement with Alalshikh was announced, "something crazy" was promised.
"We will deliver the fight of the century with Riyadh Season on Sept. 12 at Las Vegas' Allegiant Stadium," Alalshikh wrote on Twitter earlier this month. "The legend Canelo defends his Ring Magazine title vs. the great Terence Crawford. TV platform will be announced soon with big surprise. My brother Dana White will promote this first TKO boxing event with me. It will be something crazy."
White has not yet commented publicly on the date change, but he was up front in being against the idea of the card in Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas because of a built-in "hate" for stadium shows in combat sports.
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