TKO Boxing has formally acquired a promoter’s license within the state of Nevada, which clears the way in which for UFC CEO Dana White to advertise the upcoming combat between Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford.
On Wednesday, the Nevada Athletic Fee voted unanimously to approve TKO’s boxing license in addition to the deliberate occasion for Canelo vs. Crawford at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Sept. 13.
Whereas principally a formality for a powerhouse promotion like TKO, the fee is required to offer approval to any promoter’s license within the state. UFC senior vice chairman of regulatory affairs Marc Ratner and TKO chief monetary officer Andrew Schleimer each attended the assembly.
Along with the Canelo vs. Crawford combat, this additionally formally launches the brand new TKO Boxing promotion anticipated to kick off in 2026 with plans to carry a number of the occasions in Las Vegas.
“We’re going to convey a number of fights right here,” Ratner instructed the fee in the course of the listening to. “We’re going to start out our league subsequent yr.”
White had beforehand teased that the brand new promotion can be known as Zuffa Boxing but it surely seems the promoter’s license is working beneath the TKO Boxing label.
Backed by funding from Saudi Arabia, TKO Boxing is being headed up by executives like White beneath possession from TKO Group Holdings, though the corporate isn’t footing the invoice for any of the occasions. As an alternative, it’s the Saudi Arabia Basic Leisure Fund headed up by Turki Alalshikh dealing with the financials behind the promotion with White and others successfully operating the present itself.
It’s been a very long time coming for White to become involved in boxing once more after he’s repeatedly said his plans to crossover into one other fight sport after UFC and his personal Energy Slap league.
Canelo vs. Crawford is the primary official occasion beneath the TKO Boxing banner with the complete promotion anticipated to launch in 2026 with a full occasion schedule and the expectation {that a} new broadcast deal accompanies the launch of these playing cards.
“I might simply inform you that we’re anticipating with the boxing group that we’re placing on a mean of name it 12 fights a yr, 12 playing cards a yr for every of the following 5 years,” TKO president and chief working officer Mark Shapiro mentioned again in Might. “Nonetheless placing that plan collectively and clearly working hand in hand with our associates from Saudi.
“No matter these, we are going to look to do wherever from one to 4 kind of superfights per yr, we’ll see how that performs out. However clearly we might time period the Canelo/Crawford September matchup as a kind of. After which on that undercard, we might have quite a few these undercard fights that will seemingly air on the tv associate/media associate we might have for our newly shaped boxing organizations.”
