Dana White has firmly rejected rumors about his exclusion from promoting the highly anticipated Canelo Alvarez versus Terence Crawford bout. The UFC president addressed speculation that has emerged following the announcement that Sela will handle the promotion of the September 13 fight as part of the Riyadh Season.
"I'll tell you what's incredible, man. There's a lot of fucked up stuff in boxing, but nobody says shit. I mean, nobody talks. It's the most amazing thing. If we sign a deal, I have to grab the damn phone right away and say, 'Hey, we just...!' Because there will be 90,000 people talking about it. But these guys don't say anything. I'm promoting the fight," – White stated, clearly frustrated with the boxing industry's behind-the-scenes dynamics.
The situation developed after Turki Alalshikh initially announced that the undisputed super middleweight title fight would be promoted by both himself and White. However, he later revealed a different arrangement, stating that Sela would promote the event for Riyadh Season, which raised questions about White's involvement.
This comes amidst the recent launch of a new boxing league by White and Alalshikh under the "TKO Group Holdings" banner. The venture aims to revolutionize boxing in a similar way to how the UFC transformed mixed martial arts over recent years.
Interestingly, despite the apparent confusion over promotional roles, reports of tension between White and the Saudi businessman appear unfounded. Alalshikh has repeatedly expressed admiration for White's work with the UFC.
As for the fight itself, while the exact venue remains unconfirmed, Las Vegas appears to be the most likely location for the Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford showdown. The broadcast network has not yet been announced either.
Will this new promotional arrangement impact the fight's success? With White's insistence that he remains involved despite Sela's official role, boxing fans can only hope that promotional politics won't overshadow what promises to be one of the year's biggest boxing events.
