The announcements about Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford continue to pour out, and another one has been made by Turki Alalshikh hours after the fight was officially confirmed.
The Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority in Saudi Arabia has announced that Canelo vs. Crawford — which will take place on September 12 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas — will be the first TKO boxing event.
In the announcement on social media, Alalshikh adds that the fight will be promoted by none other than UFC CEO Dana White.
Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford To Be Held Under TKO Banner, Promoted By Dana White
This follows the official formation of the yet-to-be-officially-named boxing league in March. The boxing promotion will be headed up by Alalshikh and White, as well as Nick Khan — CEO of the WWE. The UFC and WWE both fall under the TKO conglomerate after a merger featuring the two brands in 2023.
While White had briefly teased a leap into boxing with the Zuffa Boxing brand during the 2010s — namely around the time of the Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor event — that idea came and went. But White had teased testing the boxing waters once again in recent years.
The date of the Canelo vs. Crawford fight is one day prior to the Noche UFC 3 card — also known as UFC 320 — which is currently scheduled for September 13 in Guadalajara, Mexico.
The TKO boxing league, in its initial announcement, teased details that included boxers having access to the UFC’s Performance Institute locations and TKO’s production team handling broadcast and promotion matters for both in-arena experiences and globally. TKO also promoted a structured system of talent development.
