UFC CEO Dana White is not surprised to see Turki Alalshikh snag Canelo Alvarez.
Alvarez signed a four-fight deal with Riyadh Season, nixing the Jake Paul bout which was being finalized for May 3 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and expected to stream on Netflix.
Paul ripped Alvarez for backing out of the deal, but White says chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, Alalshikh, has the power to do whatever he wants in boxing.
“They control the sport of boxing right now,” White told reporters during Saturday’s UFC 312 post-event news conference. “I don’t think it’s hard for them to steal anybody from anybody. I don’t know the ins and outs of that deal, but I’m sure it’s not too hard to steal somebody away from (Most Valuable Promotions) to Saudi. Totally different levels there – not even the same universe of levels.”
To kick off his four-fight deal, Alvarez, the Ring, WBO, WBA and WBC super middleweight champion, will meet undefeated IBF champ William Scull on May 3 (May 4 locally) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A potential mega fight with super welterweight champion Terence Crawford in September at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas is also on the horizon.
White worked with Alalshikh to bring the UFC to Riyadh twice so far – last June for UFC on ABC 6 headlined by Robert Whittaker vs. Ikram Aliskerov, and less than two weeks ago for a main event between Israel Adesanya and Nassourdine Imavov at UFC Fight Night 250.
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