Dana White Responds to Turki Alalshikh Signing Canelo
Canelo Alvarez’s move to Riyadh Season ended the immediate path toward a proposed Jake Paul boxing match in February 2025. White said the Saudi-backed group had enormous influence in boxing and described its resources as operating on a different scale from Paul’s promotion.
How the proposed Paul fight fell through
In early February 2025, Canelo was linked to a May 3 fight with Paul in Las Vegas. The matchup was not formally announced, and reports differed on how far negotiations had gone. Paul later said a contract had been signed; his promoter, Most Valuable Promotions, publicly described itself as deep in negotiations and expressed disappointment when the opportunity ended. Reuters reported that Canelo had been close to a deal with Paul before signing a four-fight agreement with Riyadh Season. The Saudi agreement did not include a bout with Paul.
Turki Alalshikh, chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, announced the four-fight deal. Reuters reported that financial terms were not disclosed. The available reporting supports a planned matchup that collapsed during negotiations, followed by a new multi-fight arrangement—not a public dispute led by White.
White’s comments came after the February 2025 mixed martial arts card in Sydney. In a report published by MMA Fighting, he said the Saudi group controlled much of boxing and argued that its offer could attract a fighter away from Paul and MVP. He also emphasized that he did not know the details of Canelo’s agreement. White acknowledged the scale of the deal; the source does not show him expressing frustration with Canelo or criticizing his career direction.
What Canelo did next
The first bout under the new arrangement was against William Scull in Riyadh on May 3, 2025. Canelo won a unanimous decision over 12 rounds and reunited the IBF super middleweight title with his other major belts. The Reuters fight report records the decision and the judges’ scores. In September, Canelo then faced Terence Crawford in Las Vegas. Crawford won by unanimous decision, handing Canelo the third loss of his professional career, according to the Associated Press account.
Those bouts show why the Riyadh Season agreement was consequential: it gave Canelo a different route to major events, beginning with a title unification in Saudi Arabia and followed by a high-profile meeting with Crawford. The deal also illustrates the growing influence of Alalshikh’s boxing operation, which White acknowledged in his remarks.
White’s reaction
White’s response was essentially an observation about money and influence in boxing. Paul said he was angry that the proposed bout did not happen and publicly accused Canelo of backing out, while MVP described negotiations and its disappointment.
Canelo signed a four-fight Riyadh Season deal; the Paul matchup fell away; White commented on the scale of Saudi influence; and Canelo went on to fight Scull and Crawford.
Sources: Reuters on the Riyadh Season deal and Paul negotiations; MMA Fighting on Dana White’s remarks; Reuters on Canelo vs. Scull; AP on Crawford vs. Canelo.
Sources
Tags: Boxing, Combat Sports
