UFC boss Dana White BOOTED from Canelo vs Crawford mega-fight in shock move

By Lewis Barnett 19 May, 2025 6 mins read 99 Views

Well, this is awkward. Dana White, the man who can't seem to keep his name out of boxing headlines lately, has just been unceremoniously dumped from the Canelo Alvarez vs Terence Crawford promotion. And I'm not even slightly surprised.

I was literally on the phone with a source at TKO Holdings yesterday who hinted something was brewing. "Watch this space," he said cryptically. I should've bet money on this outcome.

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The Saudi Power Play Nobody Saw Coming

Remember when TKO Holdings (the corporate behemoth that owns both UFC and WWE) made that splashy announcement about partnering with Saudi Arabia's Turki Alalshikh to create some kind of UFC-style boxing league? That was barely a month ago. They promised two mega-fights annually under White's promotion, and Canelo-Crawford was supposed to be teh grand kickoff on Friday, September 12 at the Raiders Stadium in Vegas.

Then Alalshikh dropped a bomb.

Without warning, he told Ring Magazine (which, by the way, he owns) that the date was changing to Saturday, September 13th. But that wasn't all. Suddenly the £1.5BILLION Raiders Stadium wasn't good enough either – New York or Los Angeles were now "being considered."

Wait... what just happened?

The confusion was immediate. Industry insiders started texting me at 3am. One matchmaker I've known for years simply wrote: "Dana's out. Saudi power move."

And he was right. The fight is now under the Riyadh Season banner and headed for PPV. White and Netflix? Completely out of the picture. (Awkward timing too, since UFC 320 is also scheduled for September 13th.)

Alalshikh has now confirmed that Saudi-based Sela will handle promotion for the super-middleweight title fight. No broadcaster announced yet, but Riyadh Season has that exclusive deal with DAZN, so... connect the dots.

The Netflix Boxing Experiment That Never Got Started

God. Remember when Netflix dipped their toes into boxing last November? That Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul spectacle where 58-year-old Iron Mike looked like he was moving in slow motion? Over 100 MILLION people tuned in – so many that the stream actually crashed.

I spent $49 on pizza and beer for friends to watch that circus at my place. What a waste.

Netflix must be fuming right now. They were probably counting on Canelo-Crawford to establish them as a serious boxing platform. Instead, they got ghosted faster than my ex after I mentioned meeting my parents.

The Mysterious New York Meeting

Here's where it gets interesting. On Monday, May 12, Alalshikh posted that he was flying to New York. Shortly after, White shared a pic from the Big Apple too.

Sources told me Canelo (34) and Crawford (37) were supposed to join them to film Netflix promo content. But literally ONE DAY LATER, Alalshikh announced the fight's date and location were "under consideration."

Something happened in that meeting. Something big.

So What the Hell Happens to Dana's Boxing League Now?

White hasn't said a word about being pushed out of the promotion. Not. One. Word.

It's bizarre considering how vocal he usually is. (Anyone who's seen his post-fight pressers knows the man isn't exactly shy about sharing opinions.)

This leaves the entire future of TKO's boxing venture hanging by a thread. The league hasn't even launched and already its first showcase fight has been yanked away.

White and Alalshikh have worked together before – UFC held two events in Riyadh previously. But this feels different. This feels personal.

The Fighters Move Forward

Meanwhile, Canelo is fresh off beating William Scull to reclaim his 168lb throne in early May. That was actually part of his four-fight deal with Alalshikh.

Crawford hasn't fought since moving up to 154lb to snatch the WBA title from Israil Madrimov back in August 2024.

Both men are still getting their super-fight. It's just Dana who's been left out in the cold.

I reached out to three different TKO executives for comment. Radio silence from all of them.

Whatever happened behind those closed doors in New York, one thing's crystal clear: in the boxing power game, Saudi money speaks louder than Dana White's promotional machine.

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How To

How to master the different Boxing Punches

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