After nearly eight years away from the boxing spotlight, Dana White is making a thunderous return with one of the most highly anticipated matchups in combat sports history. On September 13, Canelo Álvarez will defend his super middleweight title against Terence Crawford in Las Vegas. Saudi Arabia’s boxing entrepreneur Turki Alalshikh is a big component of this mega-event. Earlier this year, he signed a multi-year arrangement with TKO Holdings, the parent company of UFC, which marked the start of a new era of cross-promotional power.

As part of that contract, TKO will give day-to-day operational knowledge and bring in important people like WWE’s Nick Khan to help make the show worthy of the occasion. The UFC has even cleared their September pay-per-view calendar, putting all the attention on what is being billed as part of Riyadh Season. This shows how big this fight really is. It’s already clear that things are urgent behind the scenes. Dana White was in Azerbaijan just a day ago for UFC Baku.

Now, he’s in New York, overseeing the first face-off between Canelo Álvarez and Terence Crawford as the buildup begins in earnest. With just a few months to go, Dana White has officially kicked off preparations—and made it clear he’s all in. In a recent conversation with The Mac Life, he offered a behind-the-scenes look at how it’s coming together:

“Today’s going to be my first real day in it. All the other stuff has been production, and, um, you know—we had to come up with a graphics package and, you know, literally start from scratch and build this thing. So this is what we do, and, uh, yeah… I’m looking forward to it.”

As Dana White dives deeper into the boxing world, questions are beginning to swirl about his future involvement in the UFC. His noticeable absence from recent UFC Fight Nights hasn’t gone unnoticed by fans or critics. The CEO’s plate is full—between Power Slap, Thrill One Sports, and his own energy drink brand, his commitments continue to grow. He’s already missed a handful of pay-per-view press conferences. These absences have fueled speculation, with some critics even suggesting it might be time for White to begin passing the torch.

UFC president Dana White addresses retirement speculations

Neither Jon Jones nor Conor McGregor can fill the shoes of the UFC’s longtime cornerstone, Dana White. For more than three decades, the Bossman has been the face and driving force behind the promotion, managing everything from press conferences to championship bouts. His presence has been a constant: always active, always visible. Earlier this year, amid a whirlwind of business ventures and growing speculation about his future, White shut down retirement rumors in his signature style:

“I will never retire. Ever,” Dana White said. “I will keep dogging this out until the day I drop dead. I love it, 100 percent. Hopefully [I’ll be 80 years old ringside].” Now, with the highly anticipated Canelo Álvarez vs. Terence Crawford showdown approaching, the head honcho seems busier than ever. With a net worth estimated at over $750 million, his empire continues to expand, stretching far beyond the Octagon.

Still, some critics argue that Dana White may be taking on too much. They’ve suggested it may be time to hand over the reins to Hunter Campbell—the UFC’s sharp-minded negotiator known for getting big deals done. Fueling the speculation, White shared a cryptic post a few months ago, leaving fans and insiders wondering about what’s next, “We’re going to find out this year. We’ll see how long I can run this hard.”

With Dana White closing in on 60, the big question remains: how long can he keep up this relentless pace? Only time will tell if the UFC boss can continue carrying the load—or if change is finally on the horizon. Stay tuned.