Canelo set for nine-figure payday as Crawford poised to take roughly one-tenth in Las Vegas showdown

Saul "Canelo" Alvarez is expected to earn a nine-figure sum for his Las Vegas bout against Terence Crawford, with reports this week saying Alvarez will pocket more than £100 million while Crawford's guaranteed purse is around £10 million.

The fight, staged at Allegiant Stadium, will see Alvarez defend four super‑middleweight world title belts. UFC president Dana White, who is involved in promoting the event, had hinted that a nine‑figure payday awaited Alvarez, and Saudi Arabian sports official Turki Alalshikh later said the figure tied to Alvarez's contract with Saudi promoters was higher than some reports suggested.

Alvarez, who signed a multi‑year deal with Alalshikh earlier this year, pushed back when asked about the purse figure, telling reporters: "Why are you lowering the bag? I'm fighting for more and you're lowering it." Alalshikh said, "No, you get the number wrong. The contract between us and Canelo [is] more than that."

Crawford, the challenger and widely considered the underdog for the contest, confirmed on the Ring Champs podcast that his guaranteed purse for the fight was $10 million. "I'm doing it for the opportunity, baby, the legacy," Crawford said. "The legacy outweighs the money. Three‑time undisputed, ooo‑wee coming soon. And I might go back down 154lbs and do it again."

Promoters and fighters sign commercial terms in private, and purses for high‑profile boxing events often include a mix of guaranteed payments, pay‑per‑view shares and additional incentives. Promoters have not disclosed a detailed breakdown of each fighter's compensation for this bout.

Alvarez has framed the match as one of the biggest of his career and thanked fans travelling to the event. "This fight for me is big. It's one of the biggest fights in my career. For sure it means a lot... this win is going to be in the very top," he said during a recent media day. Crawford said the matchup represents a historic opportunity for the sport. "I think fights like this help the sport of boxing grow in the sense of having the best fight the best," he said. "It's going to be stamped in the history books and the debate is going to be over."

The bout has drawn intense global attention, in part because it pits a long‑established star in Alvarez against an accomplished undefeated champion in Crawford. Negotiations for major boxing events often involve multiple stakeholders, including promoters, networks, venue operators and, in this case, international investors and sports bodies.

Boxing has seen increased investment and high‑value contracts in recent years, with several fighters securing multi‑year deals tying them to promoters, investors or media partners. Alvarez's reported deal with Alalshikh followed earlier speculation about alternative matchups, including reported interest in a crossover fight with Jake Paul.

Both fighters have moved through established promotional and media channels in the lead‑up to the event, and statements from promoters and the fighters themselves have shaped public expectations about the financial terms. Promoters declined to provide a full public accounting of the fight purses ahead of the fight.

The fight is expected to be one of the highest‑profile boxing events of the year and will be closely watched for both its sporting outcome and its commercial implications for boxer pay in marquee matchups.