Canelo Alvarez took a stand at the press conference for his upcoming fight with Terence Crawford. Max Kellerman praised Dana White for building UFC into a major force and suggested he could revive boxing. Alvarez pushed back, insisting boxing holds a unique and lasting place in sports. The bout, set for September 13, 2025, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, features Alvarez defending his undisputed super middleweight title. Netflix streams the event live.
Kellerman pointed to boxing’s drop in popularity compared to UFC’s growth. Fans booed his comments. Crawford nodded in support of Alvarez, while White watched with a smile from backstage.
🗣️ “I need to put EVERYTHING in this fight!”
The champ @Canelo has spoken 🇲🇽 🏆
[ Live ONLY on @Netflix | 9pmET | #RiyadhSeasonCard ] pic.twitter.com/8mQf0lclv9
— Zuffa_Boxing (@Zuffa_Boxing) September 13, 2025
Max Kellerman Praises Dana White’s Combat Sports Legacy
Boxing commentator Max Kellerman hailed Dana White as the top combat sports promoter of his time. He credited White for UFC’s rise and predicted a similar impact on boxing.
“Dana White is the greatest combat sports promoter in my lifetime,” Kellerman said. “He built an institution. Boxing’s not as popular as it used to be anymore, right? UFC is really popular. That’s because of Dana White. He built something like the NBA. Stop [booing], because he’s about to do it again, for boxing now. You want an NBA or an NFL in boxing? Here it comes, because he knows how to build an institution.”
Kellerman spoke at the Grand Arrivals event in Las Vegas.
Dana White grew UFC from small 2001 events to a billion-dollar brand by 2016, selling a stake to Endeavor. TKO, formed in 2023, now pushes boxing expansion. White called boxing “broken” in 2024, citing fragmented promotions. The Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act of 2000 protects boxers from exploitative promoters by requiring transparent contracts, banning coercive clauses, mandating fair rankings, and strengthening state oversight. White supports amending it via the proposed Ali American Boxing Revival Act, backed by TKO, to streamline promotions and create a UFC-like model, though critics warn it may weaken fighter protections amid UFC’s antitrust issues.
Canelo Alvarez Defends Boxing’s Timeless Strength
Alvarez quickly countered Kellerman, defending boxing’s global pull. He argued it continues to grow.
“Hey Max, boxing is always bigger,” Alvarez said. “Bigger and bigger. Don’t say boxing is not big enough. Boxing is big. You know how big is boxing. Maybe it’s going to be bigger, but look, boxing is always big, and big, and bigger, and bigger. Talk about that too. Boxing is boxing. Respect for other sports. Great job and everything, but boxing is boxing.”
Canelo Alvarez interrupts Max Kellerman to make it clear — “UFC is not bigger than boxing.” 🥊🔥 #CaneloCrawford
via: @ufc pic.twitter.com/IhG41feW5g
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) September 12, 2025
Crawford backed Alvarez, saying “no lies” twice during the speech. The moment showed boxers uniting. White, watching from backstage, grinned at the debate. The press conference boosted anticipation for the fight. Alvarez holds all four super middleweight belts at 168 pounds. Crawford moves up from 154 pounds.
