‘Canelo’ Alvarez to face ‘GGG’ Golovkin in Las Vegas

The megabout between Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Gennady “GGG” Golovkin will take place Sept. 16 at T-Mobile Arena.

Golden Boy Promotions CEO Oscar De La Hoya announced the details for the highly anticipated bout Monday on ESPN.

“Keep in mind, everybody wanted this fight, I nailed it down,” De La Hoya said. “It’s the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Everybody wants to go to Vegas (to) have a great time, watch a great fight with GGG and Canelo.”

Golovkin will defend his three middleweight belts against the Mexican superstar for an HBO pay-per-view main event.

The fight was announced inside the T-Mobile Arena ring last month after Alvarez defeated Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. by unanimous decision. De La Hoya held off on naming the venue and said he wanted to listen to other offers for the right to host the lucrative bout despite asking the Nevada Athletic Commission to reserve the Strip arena for Mexican Independence Day.

There were reports that AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, would make a strong push, but MGM officials weren’t going to let the bout get away.

“We’re thrilled Oscar De La Hoya and Golden Boy Promotions have selected the fight capital of the world as its place,” Nevada Athletic Commission executive director Bob Bennett said. “We look forward to regulating this great fight for the fans and for boxing.”

Alvarez (49-1-1, 34 knockouts) and Golovkin (37-0, 33 KOs) have been on a collision course since Alvarez took the WBC middleweight belt from Miguel Cotto at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in November 2015.

“I am thrilled to return to T-Mobile Arena, and to give the fans the best fight that can be made in our sport today,” Alvarez said in a statement. “I have repeatedly said that I fear no man, and I am now going to prove it by stepping into the ring against GGG.”

Golovkin, whose fights have sold out arenas in Los Angeles, New York and London, will finally make his Las Vegas debut when he faces Alvarez.

“This is the type of fight I have dreamed of since I became a professional boxer,” Golovkin said. “This fight will be at a true championship level and we will give the fans an exciting fight.”

Golden Boy Promotions will also host a boxing card the day before Alvarez and GGG meet (Sept. 15) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Ticket information will be announced in the coming days, according to the news release.

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Contact Gilbert Manzano at gmanzano@reviewjournal.com. Follow @gmanzano24 on Twitter.