Dana White is facing a major conflict as one of his significant UFC events is now scheduled to coincide with the Canelo Alvarez vs Terence Crawford boxing match.
Just last week, it was announced that Dana White’s inaugural TKO Boxing event would feature a huge headline fight between Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford, intended to launch the promotion in a spectacular fashion.
The head of the UFC has visibly stepped back from some duties within the leading MMA organization, recently frustrating fans by skipping the UFC 315 post-fight press conference.
Despite this, he made a notable recovery this past Tuesday by finally revealing the main event for UFC 317, an announcement fans had been anticipating for months.
Canelo-Crawford Date Change Clashes with Major UFC Event
However, shortly before his UFC announcement, White was dealt a setback when his TKO Boxing partner, Turki Alalshikh, declared that the Canelo vs Crawford fight was being moved from Friday, September 12, to Saturday, September 13.
This date change would typically not be a major issue. Yet, the UFC already has a significant Noche UFC event planned for Saturday, September 13.
Last year, the Noche UFC event was held at The Sphere, a unique and historic occasion unlikely to be replicated in the same manner.
This year, the Noche UFC event, also known as UFC 320, is set to take place in Guadalajara, Mexico, marking the first time this specific event will be hosted in Mexico.
Adding to the complication, Alalshikh announced the fight would now be a Riyadh Season pay-per-view, without providing details on TKO Boxing`s involvement.
Canelo-Crawford Location Still Undecided
Although the venue for the massive super middleweight title fight is still to be confirmed, Alalshikh indicated that several locations are under consideration.
Initially, Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas was a potential venue, despite White`s previously stated reservations about hosting events in large stadiums.
Further information regarding the boxing superfight, including the final location, is expected in the coming weeks. It remains unclear how White will manage potentially promoting two major events in different locations within the same timeframe.
Gareth Tenby