“Gonna Hate Dana Soon” – Turki Alalshikh’s Awkward Moment With Dana White on Stage Leaves Fans in Splits

Dana White and Turki Alalshikh got into confusion regarding an announcement during the press conference of Terence Crawford vs. Canelo Alvarez.

“Gonna Hate Dana Soon” – Turki Alalshikh’s Awkward Moment With Dana White on Stage Leaves Fans in Splits

Turki Alalshikh left hanging by Dana White during the press conference (via X)

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The stage is perfectly set for the much-anticipated boxing bout between Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford, scheduled this weekend in Las Vegas. UFC CEO Dana White is officially promoting the fight under his TKO banner, backed by influential Saudi promoter Turki Alalshikh.

They recently held the pre-fight presser, where the atmosphere was electrifying, with both White and Alalshikh addressing many questions. At the end of the press event, the GEA head honcho surprisingly hinted that White would make a massive announcement.

However, the UFC President chose not to proceed with the announcement, abruptly ending the presser, leading to confused exchanges with Alalshikh.

White and Alalshikh have mostly shared common ground in their approach, which naturally prompted them to collaborate closely with each other. Both share a similar vision of transforming boxing’s outdated structure, and with TKO Boxing, the foundation of the plan is in place. 

Moving forward, they intend to implement a UFC-style system in boxing, emphasizing long-term sustainability and fighter-focused organizational growth. A few months ago, many predicted tension between White and Alalshikh since the Alvarez vs. Crawford fight initially excluded White’s involvement.

However, their collaboration has not been warmly embraced by all, especially long-established boxing promoters who feel threatened by change. British promoter Eddie Hearn has been a constant critic of White and his plans and has accepted him as a competitor.

According to Hearn, White isn’t the real promoter, as everything is being done by Alalshikh behind the scenes. As expected, this didn’t go well with the UFC CEO, who slammed Hearn during a recent viral interview. 

During the pre-fight press conference, the energy reached electrifying levels as Alalshikh proudly announced Alvarez’s massive fight purse figure. The Mexican superstar confirmed publicly that he would be earning well over $100 million for the bout, a staggering boxing payout. By contrast, Crawford is expected to secure around $10 million, a figure nearly ten times smaller than Alvarez’s purse.

White also exchanged with a journalist who questioned him directly about TKO’s controversial plans regarding the Muhammad Ali Act. The UFC CEO quickly shut down the reporter, stating firmly that it was neither the appropriate time nor place for discussion. While many spectators admired the journalist’s courage in raising such a bold question, online critics mocked him relentlessly afterwards.

Fight fans react to Turki Alalshikh and Dana White’s confusing moment from the press conference 

The Terence Crawford versus Canelo Alvarez mega fight has been on paper for a long time, generating excitement without materializing officially. Turki Alalshikh eventually secured the bout by finalizing a four-fight deal with Alvarez, guaranteeing blockbuster matchups and long-term promotional stability.

Dana White at Terence Crawford vs. Canelo Alvarez face off
Dana White at Terence Crawford vs. Canelo Alvarez face off (via X)

Before this agreement, Alvarez was reportedly close to arranging a fight with Jake Paul, but negotiations collapsed and never advanced. Ahead of the fight, the Mexican juggernaut is considered the betting favorite because of his natural size advantage and devastating knockout power.

Experts, however, caution that the Mexican icon may not be in his absolute prime and hasn’t won against boxing’s elite superstars. Meanwhile, Crawford has shown no hesitation about moving up multiple weight classes, expressing unshakable confidence in his exceptional boxing abilities.

‘Bud’ remains undefeated, recently appearing incredibly shredded during training camp, signaling readiness to face Alvarez in one of boxing’s greatest challenges. Nevertheless, here are some reactions from the latest interaction between Turki Alalshikh and Dana White.

As expected, many fans found the interaction hilarious, and some funny comments referencing past incidents. Some mentioned that the relationship between White and Alalshikh might sour in the future. Others joked about White’s habit of making big announcements casually on his Instagram account.

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