Saturday night, the spotlight is on Las Vegas, where Saul “Canelo” Alvarez takes on Terence Crawford in one of the most anticipated super middleweight fights in years. The sports world is abuzz, and debates have been generated left, right, and center, so how can the golf world stay behind? Phil Mickelson took to Twitter and has already picked a side.

“I know Saturday is for college football, but tonight @Canelo Alvarez is fighting @terencecrawford and it’s going to be awesome. Canelo is a left-handed golfer who hits bombs, so 🤷‍♂️ he’s pretty much going to win, but I still can’t wait to watch,” Mickelson tweeted. Lefty would naturally support a left-handed Canelo. Though Canelo fights orthodox, leading with his left and punching with his right, his powerful left hook is often considered his most dangerous weapon. This fight is a big deal in the boxing world.

Canelo Alvarez will defend his undisputed title against Crawford at Allegiant Stadium. The match will be shown live on Netflix at 9 p.m. ET. Crawford, who has been undefeated at 41-0 with 31 knockouts, is moving up in weight to challenge Alvarez for his belt. He’s already a four-division world champ, and a win here would make him the first male fighter to be undefeated in three weight classes.

Mickelson fully supports Alvarez’s passion for golf, which began during the pandemic. “I love golf. It’s addicting. I want to play every day. I want to practice every day,” Canelo told BoxingScene, even planning to add practice greens to his backyard. As his love for the sport grew, so did his skills. A natural talent, he won the 2021 BMW Charity Pro-Am and nearly aced Pebble Beach’s 17th hole in 2022 while paired with Wyndham Clark. Praised by golfers like Mickelson, he still calls it “the hardest ever” and dreams of playing every major and teeing off with Tiger Woods. As his reputation on the course grew, fellow athletes began to take notice. Jon Rahm once praised Canelo Alvarez, saying, “Canelo is great at one sport and can be great in a second sport. It’s just not fair.” To this, Canelo replied, “Jon is a friend. I love him for saying that. And I have to say I put so much into everything I do that I actually believe I can be great at anything.”

Embracing the culture of the sport, Alvarez even appeared in a Michelob Ultra commercial during Super Bowl weekend in 2023, paying tribute to Caddyshack as he cruised the fairways in a custom golf cart. Still, despite his passion for the game, Alvarez has been clear about his intentions, saying, “No, I just want to play tournaments for fun.”

So while Canelo Alvarez braces himself for this defining match, we can only hope the better fighter in the ring wins. And with Phil Mickelson weighing in, it looks like the golf world might be quietly rooting for him, too.

Who does Canelo Alvarez think could be a boxer? Brooks Koepka, apparently

A few years back, Canelo Alvarez told the Insider that if any professional golfer could step into the ring and hold their own, it would be Brooks Koepka. “Mentally, he’s everything. And he’s strong,” Alvarez had said. Brooks Koepka indeed brings a great intensity to the course. Moreover, his controversial feud with fellow LIV golfer and frenemy Bryson DeChambeau is quite popular.

Koepka is known for his dedication to fitness and athleticism. And yes, he has a reputation for performing well under pressure, particularly in major tournaments. Like the 2018 PGA Championship, when he maintained his composure and gave key birdies on the back nine to secure victory. He’s often called a ‘gym rat and he once even admitted that he loves to hang out with “NFL guys.”

So, yeah, it makes sense why Alvarez thinks Koepka could kill it in the ring.