The UFC vs. Canelo: The Battle for Mexican Independence Day Weekend

“This is going to be an incredible tribute to the Mexican people for their extraordinary contributions to combat sports,” UFC president Dana White told ESPN, in reference to his company’s Mexican Independence Day show on September 14 at The Sphere in Las Vegas.

And what better way to celebrate Mexicans on their day than with an all-Mexican showdown between Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili?

Yeah, that UFC 306 main event is about as Mexican as a big bowl of borscht. To be fair, though, there ARE a couple of Mexicans and a Mexican-American on the extended undercard. There’s also a Chilean, which is almost, kinda-sorta like a Mexican.

Despite Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) having a Strip venue reserved for Mexican superstar Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, on what has become a traditional boxing holiday, White jumped in and announced his show before a Canelo opponent could be finalized.

Last year, boxing deferred to the UFC and let the mixed martial arts company have a September 16 show unopposed. Alvarez would, instead, fight Jermell Charlo two weeks later.

This year, however, boxing is fighting to keep their date theirs.

But let’s be real about the UFC’s plans to take over Mexican Independence Day weekend in Vegas. It has nothing to do with paying tribute to Mexican people or their contributions to combat sports. Hell, White is a steadfast supporter of Donald Trump, who built his entire Presidential campaign platform on keeping the people White is “paying tribute to” out of the country.

No, this is about money. Obviously. Of course.

And there’s no problem with a business being about business. Just spare everyone all that nonsense about tribute and honoring a warrior culture.

Again, another dose of reality here. The UFC show will do well with or without Mexican support. The move on Mexican Independence Day is purely a business move to grab a prime Vegas date for their own and they’re moving on Canelo because his stock has fallen (and continues to fall).

The UFC currently doesn’t have a whole lot of Mexican talent on its roster and still trails far behind boxing when it comes to fan support in the Mexican community. In this current UFC power play, if Mexicans and Mexican-Americans hop on board for the company’s mid-September plans, great. If Mexican fans are okay with celebrating their day watching an Irish-American battle a Georgian, no problem. If they don’t come aboard? Oh well.

The UFC will be aided this year by the fact that Canelo Alvarez is taking on hopeless underdog Edgar Berlanga in a matchup that has, thus far, generated next-to-zero positive buzz. Everyone involved in the event is hoping to play to the historic Mexico vs. Puerto Rico rivalry to win fans over before fight week.

Boxing has Canelo as their main weapon in this war for Mexican Independence Day weekend. The Guadalajara native is still not only the face of Mexican boxing, but also the sport’s all-around biggest draw.

The UFC has The Sphere as its main weapon. The crazy-cool venue with all its bells and whistles promises a unique combat sports experience.

White and company also have Turki Alalshikh, the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, on their side.

Without the financial support of Alalshikh through Riyadh Season sponsorship, putting their show in the very costly Sphere would not have been economically feasible. Alalshikh , by the way, doesn’t seem all that friendly-minded when it comes to Alvarez.

“We will eat him,” Alalshikh recently told ESPN, commenting on his UFC show going up against Canelo’s.

The sheik guy eating Canelo notwithstanding, this UFC vs. Boxing showdown is an interesting one.

The UFC wants the fight fan money that flows into Las Vegas during that lucrative weekend, but doesn’t really have much concern– not really– when it comes to appealing to the community bringing that money in.

Boxing, meanwhile, has the Mexican community represented, but its fighting figurehead (Canelo) has become reluctant in giving the fans the fight(s) they really want to see.

We’ll see how all those plays out on September 14. An educated hunch is that both shows will do well and that the UFC’s push to take Mexican Independence Day weekend is more about staking their claim to the date for AFTER Canelo is no longer in the picture.