UFC 244 wasn’t the only major combat sports event to take place this past Saturday Night, as a boxing card headlined by Canelo Alvarez and Sergey Kovalev also took place.
A decision was made by DAZN to not hold the main event bout until the UFC 244 main event ended, but that doesn’t mean the fans at the MGM Grand Garden Arena didn’t get to check out some Octagon action.
“So we were sitting there, and MGM called and said that. ‘you guys are halfway through your co-main event right now,” White said after the event (via Milan Ordonez of Bloody Elbow). “People are losing their minds here,’ or whatever. ‘Can we show the Diaz fight at the MGM?’” And I was just like, ‘Holy sh-t! This is crazy! This is getting crazier by the minute!’ I woke up and dreamed all this, that it could happen,” he continued. “It was nuts. And of course, we said yes, and they did and wow.”
Brian Campbell of CBS Sports posted the following on Twitter, showing the UFC 244 main event being aired before Alvarez vs. Kovalev:
Nothing short of an unprecedented move here by the MGM Grand and DAZN. This is what #CaneloKovalev spectators are watching on the big screen in Las Vegas while the main event holds off for #UFC244 to finish.
— Brian Campbell (@BCampbellCBS) November 3, 2019
--: @GregGelbr pic.twitter.com/6lSEPCmN6q
White does admit that the whole situation was a crazy thing, but was happy to do it for the fans of both boxing and MMA.
“I respect Canelo, and I respect all the other fighters and the guys who participate in the sport of boxing,” he said. “And we got it worked out yesterday to where fans could see both fights. It’s a crazy, crazy thing for me.”
Jorge Masvidal walked away the winner of the UFC 244 main event, while Alvarez walked away victorious against Kovalev.
