Dana White believes Terence Crawford would end his retirement for the right opponent. The UFC president and CEO, who also leads Zuffa Boxing, addressed a possible comeback one day after the undefeated five-division champion publicly challenged Jaron “Boots” Ennis.
White discussed the matchup during a live Nightcap appearance in Las Vegas. He did not claim that negotiations had started or identify a date, venue or weight. His answer was a direct assessment of what it would take to get Crawford back into a boxing ring.
White Believes The Right Opponent Would Bring Crawford Back
Nightcap put the Crawford-Ennis possibility to White directly. The full exchange was:
Nightcap: “Now, there was an interaction between Bud and Boots. This would be another mega fight for you—for Zuffa Boxing. Is there any chance we can get that in the future?”
Dana White: “I think that—I—this is what I believe. If, if I went to Crawford with the right fight—yes—Crawford would fight.”
The Nightcap hosts followed White’s answer by stressing how small the realistic opponent pool may be:
“Yeah, I think Crawford would fight. But it ain’t a whole lot of guys out there that’s the right fight.”
“And there aren’t a whole lot of guys out there that would be jumping to mix it up with him.”
Watch White’s full Nightcap appearance below:
Crawford And Ennis Put The Matchup In Public
Crawford retired in December 2025 at 38 years old with a 42-0 record and 31 knockouts. His final bout was a unanimous-decision win over Canelo Alvarez at super middleweight three months earlier. The latest exchange was the clearest public sign that he is at least willing to test interest in another fight.
Crawford tagged Ennis directly and asked whether the unified junior middleweight champion would meet him if he returned.
I wanna see something! Yall wanna see me come back and fight so bad don’t yall? @JaronEnnis would you fight me next if I come outta retirement?
Ennis answered without hedging.
@terencecrawford 1000% !
Ennis is 36-0 with 32 knockouts after stopping Xander Zayas in the seventh round to win the WBA and WBO titles at 154 pounds. He moved into the division after unifying the IBF and WBA welterweight titles. Crawford competed once at 154, beating Israil Madrimov for the WBA title and the interim WBO belt before moving to 168.
The proposed fight also revives a comparison Ennis previously dismissed. Before beating Zayas, Ennis said his style was distinct from Crawford’s and rejected the idea that he should be measured as a copy of another champion. A head-to-head bout would settle that discussion more directly than another round of comparisons.
Crawford And Ennis Still Need A Weight
The weight remains an immediate business question. Crawford last competed at 168 pounds, while Ennis holds titles at 154. Neither fighter has announced a target weight, and White did not say whether Zuffa Boxing has made an offer. For now, the possible comeback rests on Crawford’s public challenge, Ennis’s acceptance and White’s belief that the right matchup can bring the retired champion back.
