Canelo Alvarez and Christian Mbilli made their intentions perfectly clear to one another at the launch press conference for their WBC super-middleweight title battle.
Canelo will attempt to claim world honours at 168lbs once again when he challenges Mbilli in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on September 12.
The Mexican superstar hasn’t fought since suffering an upset defeat to Terence Crawford last year, losing his undisputed super-middleweight crown in the process.
Crawford subsequently retired, with the belts becoming fragmented, one of them ending up in the possession of Mbilli, who now prepares for this first defence against Alvarez.
While it will be by far the biggest stage of Mbilli’s career, the Frenchman was full of confidence as the pair went head-to-head at their press conference, stating that he has plenty more to offer than some of Alvarez’s recent foes such as Edgar Berlanga and Jaime Munguia.
“It’s the perfect timing for me… You’re going to be surprised in September. In September you will regret being in that ring. I’m not Berlanga, I’m not Munguia. In September, be ready.”
Canelo dismissed the threats from Mbilli, insisting that the defending champion has no chance of coming out on top.
“He’s a good fighter but in my mind it’s 0% [chance of him beating me]… He says it’s the perfect time because I’m old. I say to him, if I was 50 years old you can still not beat me, in this life you can not beat me. You will see different things. I’m not your opponent who comes to France for you.”
The card in September will feature a Mexico vs. The World theme, with several more bouts involving Mexican fighters set to be added in the coming weeks.
Tense face-off between Canelo Alvarez and Christian Mbilli in Giza 💥#CaneloMbilli pic.twitter.com/GNbcRPWnSo
— Boxing News (@BoxingNewsED) May 23, 2026
