Saul “Canelo” Alvarez has never been shy about defending the sport that made him a legend, and during a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, the four-division world champion made his position crystal clear: boxing is not second to the UFC, and he is not afraid to say so.
The topic came up when Helwani asked Canelo about a moment at the pre-bout press conference before his bout with Terence Crawford in Las Vegas. Analyst Max Kellerman had been on stage making comments about how Dana White had changed the UFC and would do the same for boxing, and Canelo interrupted him on the spot.
“He start saying right now UFC is much better than boxing, which is not,” Canelo explained. “And that’s what I say to him. No, no, no. Don’t say, don’t lie to the people because boxing is boxing, and that’s why the UFC athletes want to come and compete in a boxing match.”
Canelo was careful to separate his feelings about the sport of MMA from his respect for the people involved in it. He made clear the issue was not personal toward Dana White or the UFC’s leadership.
“Not because of Dana White or whatever, because I respect Dana White,” he said.
When Helwani pressed him further, asking if it felt like he was standing up for his own sport, Canelo did not back down.
“My sport. I always want to defend my sport because boxing is the number one sport,” he stated. “That’s it.”
He then acknowledged the line between personal belief and objective fact, adding, “Maybe not the fact. It’s not a fact, but it’s my opinion.”
As for whether he actually watches MMA or the UFC, Canelo was straightforward. He said he does not watch it at all, though he made a point of clarifying that his lack of interest does not translate to disrespect. He expressed admiration for athletes across combat sports, noting the discipline and hard work required of them, and said he supports Mexican stars regardless of the sport they compete in.
