Las Vegas is set to host a rare offering this week, featuring boxing's top star, Canelo Alvarez, and the first live sporting event at the innovative Sphere with UFC 306. The event will showcase Canelo's unified super middleweight championship defense against underdog Edgar Berlanga and Sean O'Malley's UFC bantamweight title fight against Merab Dvalishvili on Saturday evening. This clash of high-profile combat sports events in Las Vegas will draw in many influential figures from the fight game.
The event at the Sphere was made possible by Turki Alalshikh's lucrative Riyadh Season sponsorship, costing over $20 million. This marks a significant milestone as it is the first pay-per-view event from Dana White that isn't simply billed as UFC followed by a numeral. The event is being promoted as a celebration of Mexico and its rich fighting history, coinciding with Alvarez's fight at T-Mobile Arena.
Alvarez, a Mexican sporting star, will headline the fight against Berlanga on Mexican Independence Day weekend, a slot traditionally reserved for boxing's top attractions. The event will see the convergence of power players from the fight game, including Alalshikh, White, and Al Haymon's PBC, which will deliver Alvarez's fight at the MGM-managed property.
Alalshikh has expressed interest in a potential Canelo-Terence Crawford fight in February, aiming to make it one of the biggest fights in boxing. The event will witness a clash of influence between Alvarez and Alalshikh, with both events vying for attention and prominence in the fight game.
With some of the biggest names in combat sports going head-to-head in Las Vegas, the fight game's power dynamics are under scrutiny. Industry insiders have weighed in on the key players shaping the landscape, highlighting figures like Bob Arum, Oscar De La Hoya, Jake and Logan Paul, Tony Khan, Alalshikh, Alharthy, Al Haymon, and Eddie Hearn as influential forces in boxing, MMA, and pro wrestling.
Each of these figures brings a unique set of strengths to the table, from autonomy and money to name recognition and influence, shaping the direction of their respective sports. As the fight game continues to evolve, the interplay of these power players will be crucial in determining the future trajectory of combat sports.
