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Canelo Álvarez will face WBC champion Christian Mbilli on September 12 in Riyad

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By Boxing Insider Staff

Canelo Álvarez will return to the ring on September 12 in Riyad to face WBC super middleweight champion Christian Mbilli, His Excellency Turki Alalshikh announced from London on Saturday.

Until the fight, it will have been a year since Álvarez faced Terence Crawford in Las Vegas. According to data released by the organization, the event attracted over 41 million viewers on Netflix, making it one of the most watched boxing broadcasts in history.

Álvarez, the former undisputed super middleweight champion, returns to Saudi Arabia with the WBC title in his sights. The Mexican made nine successful saves during a reign at the top of the league that lasted almost five years before losing the undisputed crown to Crawford last September.

Mbilli’s path to the WBC title

Mbilli will enter the fight as the current WBC champion. The Montreal-based French-Cameroonian won the interim title with a win over Maciej Sulecki in June and was promoted to full champion in January. He remains undefeated and previously appeared on the Álvarez vs. card. Crawford during the Riyad season.

“My last fight was the fight of the year,” Mbilli said in a statement released by the promotion. “In September against Canelo Alvarez, it will be the fight of the decade. And when the fight is over, the world will witness my historic victory.

Canelo in the match

Álvarez, who will turn 36 in July, addressed the decision in a statement.

“After so many years in this sport, my motivation is still the same: to challenge myself, represent Mexico and continue to build my legacy,” Álvarez said. “Mbilli is undefeated and he is a great fighter and I respect that. But my focus is always on preparation, performance and giving the fans another great night of boxing. On September 12 in Riyad, we start a modern chapter with the same discipline, ambition and vision that has accompanied me throughout my career.”

Press conference for Cairo

The press conference is scheduled for Saturday, May 23 at 2:00 p.m. local time in Cairo. This will be the first confrontation between both players.

The card is a continuation of the season’s boxing program in Riyad, overseen by Alalshikh, whose list of events supported by Saudi Arabia over the last two years, it has changed the calendar of sporting events. Riyad season organizers recorded more than 17 million visitors for the 2025 edition, following the 2024 edition which exceeded 20 million.

Broadcast details, ticket information and undercard fights for the September 12 event have not yet been announced.

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Boxing

Moses Itauma Calls Out Next Opponent After Stunning Loss to Filip Hrgovic

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"Moses Itauma Calls Out Next Opponent After Stunning Loss to Filip Hrgovic"

Moses It will hurt suffered a surprising defeat to Filip Hrgovic on Saturday, and the 21-year-old has now revealed who he wants to face upon his return.

Itauma looked to be fulfilling his destiny and dominating his Croatian opponent during the opening rounds at the O2 Arena over the weekend, but his success soon turned to desperation when Hrgovic’s chin held up and his own stamina did not.

An exhausted Itauma eventually collapsed in round nine of the contestwith Hrgovic pulling off a remarkable upset to throw the heavyweight scene a huge curveball, hand Itauma a first career loss and get his hands on the IBF heavyweight world title.

In an interview with talkSPORT Boxingpromoter Frank Warren revealed that Itauma has already asked for a rematch with ‘El Animal’.

“In that last round, he was still firing back. He has got a firing heart, he is a very brave young man, very brave. It’s now about what he does, how he prepares, he is saying to me, ‘can we get the rematch on?’, which is a natural reaction.”

Despite the 21-year-old’s desire to take on Hrgovic for a second time, it seems as though the latter will be made to face Cuba’s Frank Sanchez, who agreed to a step-aside deal to allow Itauma and Hrgovic to fight for the IBF title under the condition that he would face the winner.

Continuing, Warren seemed to confirm that a scrap between Hrgovic and Sanchez will be next, advising Itauma to take some time off before rushing into a second shot at the heavyweight throne.

“I told him, ‘you have got to just switch off from boxing, go and chill out, go and spend some time with your family and then come back, recharge your batteries and then we will get to work again,’

“The landscape is what it is, he is a a part of it, he has shown that he belongs at that level and provided that we learn and he learns some lessons from the fight, I think that he can go on and do some great things.”

In his post-fight interview, newly-crowned IBF champion Hrgovic spoke of his desire for a bout on home soil in Croatia; where he has not fought since 2019.

As a result, Warren may next target Zagreb for a clash between Hrgovic and Sanchez, which should take place within the next six months.

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Shawn Porter Expects a Dazzling Comeback from Canelo Against Explosive Prospect Mbilli

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"Shawn Porter Expects a Dazzling Comeback from Canelo Against Explosive Prospect Mbilli"

Canelo Alvarez is hoping to regain one of his former super-middleweight titles at the first time of asking when he makes his comeback this October against WBC champion Christian Mbilli. Two-time welterweight ruler Shawn Porter has revealed his prediction for the fight.

Alvarez lost all four of his belts at 168lbs to Terence Crawford last September and has since been sidelined due to an elbow injuryas Crawford’s retirement saw the coronation of four new world champions.

One of those beneficiaries was Mbilli, who had been in possession of the WBC Interim crown when ‘Bud’ decided to hang up the glovesallowing him to be elevated to full champion and then lined up for a showdown with Canelo.

Canelo’s remaining quality at the age of 36 is an ongoing debate amongst fans and analysts, leading many to predict an intriguing and potentially even fight. Yet, speaking on The PorterWay Podcast‘Showtime’ said that Alvarez will look like an ‘A++ fighter’ come fight night.

“Canelo truly does have that fast twitch; he is explosive, but he is explosive with speed and quickness and that fast twitch is going to get Canelo to that mark a little bit quicker.

“Yeah, I think [he can still do it] at 36. If you think about it, even though Canelo is not that ‘A++’ fighter that he used to be, he is still a solid ‘A’ and that solid ‘A’ will beat a solid ‘B’ [in Mbilli].

“That solid ‘B’ will make a solid ‘A’ look like an ‘A++’, so I think that he is going to look ‘A++’.”

Canelo-Mbilli takes place on Saturday, October 31, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The super-middleweight duo will top a ‘Mexico vs. The World’ themed bill, which could feature a bantamweight title unification between WBA champion and pound-for-pound sensation Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez and WBO titleholder Christian Medina.

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Undefeated KO Artist Moves Closer to Canelo Fight After Latest Stoppage: Its Going to Happen

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"Undefeated KO Artist Moves Closer to Canelo Fight After Latest Stoppage: 'It’s Going to Happen'"

Canelo Alvarez could be ordered to enter an immediate title defence if he emerges victorious against Christian Mbilli on October 31.

The Mexican has not fought since September 2025, when he was relieved of his undisputed super-middleweight crown after losing a unanimous decision to Terence Crawford.

On that same card, Mbilli retained his WBC ‘interim’ strap following a 10-round draw against Lester Martinezmaintaining his position as one of the top contenders at 168lbs.

The Frenchman was then upgraded to full world champion in December, with Crawford having relinquished his four major titles and announced his retirement as a three-division undisputed king.

Canelo will therefore have the opportunity to reclaim one of his old belts in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with Mbilli making a first defence of his WBC title.

The winner of their showdown may then be ordered to face Martinez, as the unbeaten mandatory challenger comes off two successful defences of his WBC ‘interim’ strap.

Most recently, the 30-year-old scored a 10th-round stoppage of Luka Plantic last weekend, which followed his unanimous decision victory over Immanuwel Aleem in March.

Speaking at the post-fight presser following his win against Plantic, Martinez said through a translator that he expects to eventually face both Canelo and Mbilli.

“No, look, at the end of the day, I’ve said it before: the second fight [with Mbilli] will happen, possibly next year or the year after. But either one of those fights makes sense for us.

“We know the eyes of the world are going to be on [Mbilli-Canelo]and because we’re going to be there, we’re going to take advantage of all of that. But both fights are going to happen.”

Having already created the “blueprint” to defeat Canelo, Crawford trainer Brian ‘BoMac’ McIntyre said afterwards that he is supremely confident in guiding Martinez to victory against either Alvarez or Mbilli.

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