Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez is due to make his ring return on September 12 in Saudi Arabia, with the only official announcement so far branding it a world title fight but naming no opponent.
Canelo lost all four super-middleweight world titles to Terence Crawford in September of last year. While Crawford retired and scattered the belts, the Mexican icon has opted to fight on and is intent on immediately winning one title back, as he recently told Oso Trava.
“I am unstoppable because I’m not undefeated, nor am I perfect by any means, but that doesn’t stop me from staying excited, believing, and dreaming about what’s to come and that I will be a world champion again.”
Christian Mbilli, who was upgraded from interim to full WBC champion when Crawford was stripped, has been the obvious candidate for some time now, but the teams on either side have been careful not to say too much.
With the date approaching and proper promotion soon to begin, Canelo’s longtime trainer and manager Eddy Reynoso has now confirmed to Lance Pugmire that he does indeed expect it to be Mbilli in the opposite corner.
Eddy Reynoso @CANELOTEAM told me today he’s expecting Mbilli as Canelo’s September opponent in Saudi Arabia, and when I asked him if Canelo wants Cinco de Mayo back, he said, “Yes, of course.”
— Lance Pugmire (@pugboxing) April 30, 2026
Mbilli won the interim title in June last year against Maciej Sulecki and retained it on the Canelo-Crawford bill after fighting to a draw with Lester Martinez.
The Cameroonian-French Canadian champion has expressed a keen interest in facing Canelo, rightly recognising it as the biggest fight on offer for him. He has also said he expects a rematch with Martinez down the line, who has since won the interim belt.
The fight, pending official announcement, gives Canelo an opportunity to win back the belt he had held since 2020, when he beat the UK’s Callum Smith in a vacant title bout. Whether or not he pursues undisputed again remains to be seen, but faces fresh challenges in the division if so. The WBA belt is now in the hands of Jose Armando Resendiz, while Cuban puncher Osleys Iglesias has picked up the IBF. The vacant WBO title will be contested next month between Hamzah Sheeraz and Alem Begic.
