The highly anticipated Canelo Alvarez vs Terence Crawford showdown just got even bigger. Ahead of Saturday night’s blockbuster event in Las Vegas, UFC president and co-promoter Dana White has confirmed that lucrative bonuses will be up for grabs on the undercard — adding extra motivation for fighters looking to make their mark on the grand stage.
Performance and fight of the night bonuses announced
Speaking on The Stephen A. Smith Show, White revealed that undercard fighters will compete for Performance of the Night and Fight of the Night bonuses, funded by Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh.
“The opportunity wasn’t there during the press conference, so I’ll announce it right here,” Dana White said. “On the undercard fights — Canelo and Crawford are going to do just fine on Saturday night, they’re going to be ok. But on the undercard fights, we’re going to have a Performance of the Night and a Fight of the Night. $100,000 each for the fighters on the undercard from Sheikh Turki. So you can be involved in the Performance of the Night and the Fight of the Night and take home $200,000 for these undercard fighters.”
A total of 18 fighters across 9 undercard bouts will be eligible for the prizes, while Alvarez and Crawford have their own knockout incentives tied to the main event.
UFC-inspired model for boxing
This bonus system mirrors the UFC’s model, where two fighters typically earn “Performance of the Night” bonuses and one bout is recognized as “Fight of the Night.” In the UFC, these awards are generally set at $50,000 each, though special events such as UFC 300 saw payouts soar to $300,000.
For Saturday’s boxing spectacle, Dana White and Alalshikh have raised the stakes even higher, creating one of the most rewarding undercards in recent memory.
High-profile undercard bouts to watch
The night’s chief support slot features rising Irish prospect Callum Walsh (14-0) taking on Fernando Vargas Jr. (17-0), son of former world champion Fernando Vargas, in a mouthwatering super welterweight clash.
Elsewhere, unbeaten fighters Christian Mbilli (29-0) and Lester Martinez (19-0) face off for the WBC interim super middleweight title, while Saudi prospect Mohammed Alakel (5-0) meets short-notice replacement Travis Kent Crawford (7-4).
The preliminary card also brings intrigue, headlined by a rematch between Serhii Bohachuk (26-2) and Brandon Adams (25-4). Their first meeting in 2021 ended with Adams pulling off a dramatic comeback knockout, but Bohachuk is determined to settle the score this time.
Adding further depth, former Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte opponent Jermaine Franklin (23-2) returns to action against unbeaten Olympic medalist Ivan Dychko (15-0).
A night of high drama guaranteed
With $200,000 potentially on the line for standout performances, the undercard fighters now have every incentive to deliver fireworks before Alvarez and Crawford step into the ring. For Dana White, it’s a bold crossover move that borrows from UFC’s playbook — ensuring fans get maximum entertainment from start to finish.