Sportsupdated 1h ago2 min read
MapSaúl “Canelo” Álvarez Beats Christian Mbilli To Reclaim WBC Super-Middleweight Title In Riyadh
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Canelo Alvarez defeated Christian Mbilli by unanimous decision to reclaim WBC super-middleweight title in Riyadh It was his first fight in about 13 months following defeat to Terence Crawford
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Canelo regains WBC title
Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez reclaimed the WBC super middleweight title with a unanimous-decision victory over Christian Mbilli in Riyadh on Saturday, with judges scoring the fight 115-112, 116-111 and 117-110. The bout took place at Kingdom Arena despite a week of heightened security concerns in the Saudi capital, where the Saudi-led coalition said it had intercepted missiles and drones launched by Iran-aligned Houthi forces.
BBC Sport said the 36-year-old Álvarez won in his 69th professional fight, and it quoted him saying, "It's so difficult to explain," as he reflected on the result. Jake Paul and Terence Crawford both congratulated Canelo for the victory on social media, and Álvarez improved to 64-3-2 while Mbilli fell to 29-1-1.
Security backdrop and quotes
The Guardian reported that several events in the kingdom were cancelled or postponed, including the Six Kings Slam tennis exhibition, as the Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted missiles and drones aimed at the capital. Turki al-Sheikh, the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, said earlier this month that Álvarez had personally assured him he would go ahead with the fight regardless of the security situation, writing, "Canelo reached out and told me he’ll still fight in Riyadh this October, no matter what happens."
Álvarez returned to the ring for the first time in more than a year and relied on counter-punching and precise body shots to overcome Mbilli. The BBC quoted Álvarez saying, "It’s something unbelievable, this feeling," and it added that the bout went ahead after Saudi Press Agency reported the Civil Defence had intercepted two ballistic missiles over Riyadh just two days before the fight.
What comes next
The Guardian said the escalation threatened Saudi Arabia’s ambitions to establish itself as a global destination for major sporting events, while it also noted that the kingdom has become a dominant force in professional boxing under Al-Sheikh.
“And right now I'm going to be a couple of weeks off and then come back.”
Álvarez did not mention who he wants to fight next, but he said, "I'm going to rest. I'm going to keep learning. I'm going to keep working hard," before adding, "And right now I'm going to be a couple of weeks off and then come back."
The Guardian said the victory marked a significant comeback for Álvarez, who suffered only the third defeat of his professional career when Terence Crawford outpointed him by unanimous decision in September 2025.
Álvarez had undergone elbow surgery before returning, and it described his performance as particularly impressive considering his last fight was over a year ago.