Has Canelo Alvarez ever spoken about fighting in the UFC?
Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez is the current pound-for-pound number one boxer in the world. While he has stated that he does not have an interest in competing in any other combat sport, MMA fighters have repeatedly called him out in the past.
The Mexican fighter has put together one of the most impressive resumes in modern boxing. Canelo Alvarez has a record of 56-1-0, with his only loss coming against the legendary Floyd Mayweather.
Canelo Alvarez's most recent victory came last weekend, as he took on Billy Joe Saunders. After a series of hard-fought rounds, Canelo fractured Saunders' orbital bone in three different places with a well-timed uppercut, which led to Saunders being unable to continue.
Canelo Alvarez's Reaction to being asked if he would compete in MMA
In 2018, Canelo Alvarez was interviewed by TMZ Sports and was asked about a potential transition to mixed martial arts. Alvarez was quick to shut the idea down, stating:
"I respect boxing. Boxing is my sport. Boxing is what I love. The other sport (MMA) is something we'll never know."
A callout from 'Gamebred'
However, Canelo Alvarez has still been the name on the lips of at least one MMA superstar. Jorge Masvidal, also known by the monikers 'Gamebred' and 'Street Jesus', is an MMA fighter who has often boasted about his own boxing ability. The former street fighter has KO wins over Darren Till and Jake Ellenburger.
In early 2020, Masvidal revealed he would be fighting Kamaru Usman a second time in an attempt to win gold in the UFC's welterweight division. This is a fight that does not look great in hindsight while discussing Masvidal's boxing skills. However, he also made another callout ahead of the bout with Usman.
Masvidal revealed that he was interested in a potential boxing match with Canelo Alvarez, stating that he believed he could shock the world in a fight against the boxer. Masvidal told Ariel Helwani:
"If Canelo wants to get his a** kicked, that's a fight I'll take. I feel like I could shock the world."
However, it would appear that Canelo Alvarez does not have any interest in crossover fights. In 2019, he stated the following in an interview with Little Giant Boxing:
“I say this with all respect: If I go into his sport, I have nothing to do there and I think the same about boxing – if (MMA fighters) come into boxing, they have nothing to do here. But looking at it from a business standpoint, it is attractive, but it’s not a challenge for me, so it’s not my priority.” (transcribed via MMAMania)