UFC Vegas 109 Sidelined as Dana White Grants One Fan Chance of a Lifetime Promoting Canelo vs. Crawford

Dana White & Co. return to the boxing world, ready to dive into the sport nearly eight years after the iconic Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight. The eagerly awaited Canelo Álvarez vs. Terence Crawford bout will take place on September 13, 2025, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, promising a spectacular night featuring the undisputed super-middleweight championship of the world.

Partnering with Saudi boxing promoter Turki Al-Sheikh and Sela, Canelo Alvarez will defend his super middleweight title against Crawford. This high-stakes Riyadh Season card marks Zuffa’s long-awaited return to boxing. Furthermore, Dana White is leaving no stone unturned and is determined to bring glamour and excitement to the event. Turki Alalshikh tweeted that Sela will promote the Riyadh Season presentation, while TKO/Zuffa Boxing is involved as part of the broader venture behind the event.

In addition, thanks to UFC’s internet sensation and former Playboy model Nina Marie Danilie—who recently gained attention for recreating Hollywood actress Sydney Sweeney’s American Eagle jeans commercial to promote the fight and offer “free tickets” for the Canelo vs. Crawford event, dubbed the ‘greatest boxing event of the year’—fans now have a chance to sit right next to Dana White.

One fan caught White’s attention by commenting, “I want to sit beside Nina,” to which Dana White responded, “We can do that too.”

However, Dana White & Co.’s latest boxing venture raises many doubts, especially as the UFC Bossman has recently been absent from numerous fight nights, pay-per-views, and even UFC 315—an important event marking the promotion’s return to Montreal after a decade. Fans and several outlets publicly flagged White’s no-show at the UFC 315 post-fight press conference and at other fight-week events, sparking discussion about whether his increased boxing commitments are affecting his UFC presence.

Now, Zuffa Boxing’s promotion of the Canelo vs. Crawford fight is overshadowing tonight’s UFC Vegas 109: Dolidze vs. Hernandez, which the promotion is giving little attention. Additionally, it also eclipses the UFC Noche event scheduled on the same date just 1,350 miles away, which will also broadcast live.

Dana White dismisses concerns over Canelo vs. Crawford overshadowing UFC Noche

For the first time in many years, Dana White & Co. are taking September seriously and have chosen not to schedule any pay-per-view event, resulting in a month without a pay-per-view. Instead, they shift the focus to the Mexican Independence Day tribute with the third annual ‘NOCHE UFC’ event. The previous Noche event, UFC 306, took place inside The Sphere and launched under an agreement with Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, highlighting Turki Alalshikh’s involvement.

With Dana White focusing on the Crawford vs. Canelo fight, UFC Noche may not receive as much spotlight this time. They will hold the event at the Frost Bank Center in Texas, headlined by Diego Lopes vs. Jean Silva in a featherweight bout. Although the fight card has changed and may not attract the same level of attention as Canelo vs. Terence Crawford, Dana White dismisses any notion of conflict.

According to Dana White, there is no overlap between the two promotions under Zuffa, and no scheduling conflicts with the boxing event. He stated, “I’ve always had this theory that if you can get people to stay home on a Saturday night, and you put on two great fights the same night — we have UFC Noche that night, and I know that there’s a lotta questions about this. The main events, the main cards, will not cross over.” White has publicly emphasized viewers will be able to watch both cards back-to-back and framed the night as a celebration of Mexican Independence with multiple landmark fights across combat sports instead of a zero-sum scheduling fight.

“You’ll be able to watch one right into the other, so to be part of a historic night on Mexican Independence Day — I love it. I feel very blessed to be here. Thank [Turki Alalshikh] and both fighters up here. It’s gonna be a great night, historic night of fighting.”

McGregor-Mayweather (Aug 2017) was a crossover anomaly. This effort is corporate, systematic and backed by TKO + Saudi partnerships — so it’s not a one-off celebrity gamble but a structural play to create recurring “superfights.” However, despite Dana White’s assurances, it’s difficult to say if that will actually happen, especially given that White himself criticized the Canelo Alvarez fight last year, which coincided with UFC 306 at the MGM. What is your take on it?