After years of swirling rumors, Dana White has finally stamped his approval on his boxing business idea. Yesterday, Dana White & Co. made a significant move in the boxing world when GEA head and boxing supremo Turki Alalshikh declared, “Today marks the new chapter in boxing history.” In his Instagram post this week, ‘His Excellency’ announced a multi-year partnership under the TKO umbrella to launch a new boxing promotion, where TKO’s expertise will provide “day-to-day operational expertise.” In a video, the duo shook hands to celebrate their new collaboration, aiming to reshape the future of boxing.

Recently, comments from boxing superstar and reigning WBC, WBA, WBO, and Ring Magazine super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez surfaced. The Mexican juggernaut, who is preparing for his upcoming fight against undefeated IBF super middleweight champion William Scull in May at the ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, sat down with CBS Sports. When asked about the Dana White and Turki Alalshikh partnership and the “kickoff event for September in Las Vegas,” Alvarez, whose name has been linked to the event, expressed his interest. He revealed, “Yeah, there’s always an opportunity to fight in September.”

In the wake of this announcement, White also stated, “Everybody knows the format. The best fight the best. You work your way up the rankings and once somebody breaks into the top five, there’s no question who the top five guys are in each weight class and they fight it out. And once somebody holds that belt, you don’t need three letters in front of the belt. Whoever has the belt is the best in the world in that weight class. It’s a very simple model.”

And when it comes to the best slugging it out against the best, the thought of Alvarez and ‘Bud’ automatically comes to mind. And it seems that boxing insider Ariel Helwani is also on board with this sentiment. On his show, the journalist stated, “Remember what [TKO Group Holdings COO Mark Shapiro] said on that call last week: In addition to… that league, as they’re calling it, we’re also going to be doing super fights. Two this year, two next year. Massive fights.”

“Don’t be surprised if the first one is Canelo Alvarez vs. Crawford. And don’t be surprised if that first one is on a platform like Netflix,” he added. White first dipped his toes into boxing promotion with the high-profile Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather match in 2017, but it ended up being a one-off event. Last year, rumors swirled about a potential Logan Paul vs. Conor McGregor fight in India, with many MMA analysts speculating about White’s involvement.

However, Dana White dismissed those rumors. Initially, Canelo Alvarez was set to face Jake Paul under Paul’s MVP promotion. But in the end, Alvarez chose to sign with Turki Alalshikh, signaling that a potential collaboration with Dana White could be on the horizon.

Dana White responds to Jake Paul’s claims on Canelo Alvarez-Turki Alalshikh partnership

Initially, Canelo Alvarez was set to fight Jake Paul in May, but just before signing the contract, Alvarez switched sides and aligned with Saudi boxing supremo Turki Alalshikh, signing a four-fight deal with Riyadh Season. The Mexican will now face William Scull in May. This move, however, did not sit well with Jake Paul, who saw it as a betrayal. In anger, Paul labeled Canelo Alvarez a “slave” and further accused Turki Alalshikh of “stealing” opponents from him. Dana White, however, does not see it the way Jake Paul describes it.

The head honcho, known for his bitter rivalry with Jake Paul, took a dig at him last month during the UFC 312 presser. “Listen, they control the sport of boxing right now,” White said about the team running the show in Saudi Arabia. “I don’t think it’s hard for them to steal anybody from anybody. I don’t know the ins and outs of that deal, but I’m sure it’s not too hard to steal somebody away from [Jake Paul and Most Valuable Promotions] to Saudi. Totally different levels. Not even the same universe of levels,” White added.

What are your thoughts on the new partnership between Dana White and Canelo Alvarez? Who should Alvarez face next in his Riyadh Season fight, scheduled for September in Las Vegas? Share your thoughts below.