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By LVSportsBiz.com News Reports
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — UFC President Dana White is officially entering the boxing business with one of the biggest fights of the year. Canelo Alvarez, the undisputed super middleweight champion, will face off against Terence Crawford, the undefeated multi-division world champion, Sept. 13 in Las Vegas.
This mega-fight event is part of a co-promotion with Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, Riyadh Season, Sela, and White’s TKO Group Holdings. The event will be streamed live globally on Netflix, marking the first time a major boxing event will be broadcast without a Pay-Per-View model.
Turki Alalshikh Set Record Straight Clearing Up Promotion Confusion
Alalshikh posted on social media platform X on May 18, “We have confirmed the promoter for Canelo v Crawford will be Sela for Riyadh Season. The broadcaster we have not decided yet but the date will be Saturday 13th September. More details soon …🥊🔥”.
As previously reported by LVSportsBiz.com, Sela is is also a partner alongside TKO Group and Alalshikh for this new boxing promotion.
Turki set the record straight in this regard with an X post on June 8 that read, “My brother Dana will promote this fight. It is the fight of Riyadh Season, and we have a deal with TKO to promote it and it will the biggest fight in boxing, and tomorrow I think I will tell the details and the platform and the place for this fight, me and and Dana 👍”.
Exclusively Streaming On Netflix Bypassing Pay-Per-View
This fight isn’t just significant for the fighters; it’s a game-changer for the combat sports industry. As it stands today, the event will stream on Netflix with no Pay-Per-View. “Re-securing Netflix was key for us,” White said. “This is literally a once-in-a-lifetime fight, and it’s going to create a massive impact for boxing and the entire fight business. We’ve got the best fighters in the world, and now we have the right platform to make this a global phenomenon.”
By partnering with White and the Riyadh Season, the platform positions itself as a major player on the landscape — a critical move that could significantly alter the way fans engage with premium fight content moving forward.
UFC’s Broadcast Future: ESPN Deal Expiration Looms
UFC’s exclusive negotiating window with ESPN for a new broadcast deal expired Apr. 15, opening the door for other streaming giants like Netflix and Amazon to enter the race for UFC content. While the current deal with ESPN runs until the end of 2025, this expiration paves the way for competitive bidding for UFC’s Pay-Per-View events, Fight Nights, and UFC Fight Pass offerings.
Negotiations between UFC and ESPN are ongoing.
Las Vegas Venue Uncertainty
Allegiant Stadium May Be Off Table
White has said multiple times that he isn’t a fan of producing fights inside of stadiums. Could he get his wish to bypass that option for Canelo versus Crawford?
Originally slated for Allegiant Stadium, managed by the NFL Raiders, the fight’s venue remains up in the air following a shift in the fight’s date from a Friday, Sept. 12 to a Saturday, Sept. 13. With UNLV hosting Idaho State on that day, Allegiant Stadium, with its 65,000-seat capacity, appears to be unavailable. Don’t count out the home of the Raiders as the final destination for this mega event.
With a fight of this magnitude Allegiant Stadium is the most viable option. Otherwise, tickets could trend more expensive than the Super Bowl. It wouldn’t be surprising for cheap seats to run somewhere in the $3,000 range.
That leaves several potential venues in Las Vegas also in the mix:
T-Mobile Arena (capacity: 20,000) – A prime candidate for this major showdown, with a history of hosting some of the biggest events in boxing and MMA.
Michelob ULTRA Arena (capacity: 12,000) – A smaller venue but a flexible option for this elite-level fight.
MGM Grand Garden Arena (capacity: 17,000) – A classic venue that has hosted some of the most legendary moments in boxing history.
Las Vegas Sphere (capacity: 17,000) – A potential wild card as White and Alalshikh previously staged UFC Noche, as their first Riyadh season partnership last September. The event, which won a Sports Emmy for its innovative production, was speculated to upwards of $20 million. Thee venue’s ability to host high-profile events with an immersive experience would be a unique and costly alternative.
While the final venue is still to be determined, T-Mobile Arena is likely to emerge as the most viable option for this high-profile event if Allegiant doesn’t happen. Especially, given its history with the UFC, other major combat sports events, and its location in the heart of the Strip.
International Hype Tour
To build anticipation, Alalshikh, has announced a three-city international press tour to promote the fight. The tour will begin in Riyadh on June 20, continue to New York on June 22 at Fanatics Fest, and conclude in Las Vegas on June 27.
This global promotional push is powered by Saudi Arabia’s growing influence in the fight industry.