Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez looks to reclaim a share of the super-middleweight crown this September when he faces WBC champion Christian Mbilli.
Canelo lost all four belts to Terence Crawford in 2025, suffering his first defeat at 168lbs and only his third overall after coming up short to Floyd Mayweather and Dmitry Bivol.
When Crawford retired, the belts scattered, and interim WBC title holder Mbilli was one of the first to benefit. Having been elevated from interim to full champion, Mbilli now finds himself in the biggest fight of his career against one of the sport’s modern greats.
Speaking to FightHype, Hall of Fame fighter Tim Bradley said that he only sees the fight going one way, believing Mbilli’s aggressive style will provide the perfect opportunity for Alvarez to remind the boxing world of his quality and result in a comprehensive comeback win.
“He’s gonna piece Mbilli’s ass up. I like Mbilli – tough guy, come and bring the pain. It’s gonna be a hell of a fight, but Canelo’s gonna catch and shoot on his ass all night long. Uppercuts, hooks… Oh it’s gonna be bad.
“Canelo look like he’s He-Man. He’s gonna look like he’s back.”
The fight tops a card branded ‘Mexico vs the World’ in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on September 12. Though the undercard is not set, former Canelo rival turned training partner and new WBA super-middleweight champion Jaime Munguia could feature.
If Alvarez wins, he will not face Munguia to unify, but there will be no shortage of opponents. Fellow champions Osleys Iglesias and Hamzah Sheeraz have both made it clear they want a shot at the man many still regard as the face of boxing, setting up several intriguing options at 168lbs. Mbilli, of course, intends to stop those plans before they begin.
