Canelo Álvarez Beats Mbilli to Retain WBC Super Middleweight Belt

Saúl "Canelo" Álvarez regained the World Boxing Council super middleweight championship on Saturday after defeating Christian Mbilli by unanimous decision in Riyadh. The victory restored Álvarez to world title status following his loss to Terence Crawford in September 2025.

The judges scored the bout 115-112, 116-111, and 117-110 in favor of the Mexican. This result improved Álvarez's professional record to 64 wins, three losses, and two draws. Mbilli suffered his first career defeat, dropping to 29 wins, one loss, and one draw.

Álvarez had not fought since the Crawford bout, a period that raised questions about the longevity of his reign. Mbilli entered the fight as an undefeated opponent who applied constant pressure, particularly in the early rounds. The Frenchman pushed Álvarez toward the ropes, creating a competitive first half. Álvarez responded with body shots and counterattacks. He found greater success in the sixth round, landing a right uppercut and a right straight that began to shift the momentum.

The dynamic changed as the fight progressed. Álvarez forced Mbilli to answer for every strike, using cleaner impacts to break up the challenger's advances. At times, Álvarez dropped his guard to invite Mbilli forward, positioning himself to deliver counterpunches. An uppercut defined the seventh round, followed by combinations in the eighth. Mbilli's task grew harder when referee Héctor Afu deducted a point for a strike to the back of Álvarez's head.

Álvarez controlled the tenth round with his jab. Mbilli continued to target the body and landed rights in the final round, but Álvarez closed the fight with power, causing the champion to wobble with a right hand. The 36-year-old credited his training for the result. He noted that coach Eddy Reynoso instructed him to move, box, and maintain his jab. "He asked me to do what 'Canelo' does best. And that is what I did," Álvarez said after the bell.

Addressing the intensity of the challenger, Álvarez stated he expected a strong opponent but believed he had limited Mbilli's offensive output. "It's hard to throw punches at me," he emphasized. The post-fight celebration included an emotional tribute to trainers Eddy and Chepo Reynoso, whom Álvarez credited with shaping his career. He acknowledged his family, who watched from a distance, and joked that his wife, who could not attend, told him to return with the title. "I won the title," he reiterated.

Álvarez did not commit to a specific next opponent. "I'm going to rest. I'm going to keep learning. I'm going to keep working hard," he said. On the undercard, Jaime Munguía retained the WBA super middleweight title over Nikita Zon by unanimous decision with scores of 117-111, 117-111, and 116-112. Munguía recovered from a sixth-round scare to improve to 47-2. Rafael Espinoza retained the WBC featherweight title with a third-round technical knockout over Ricardo Blandón. Tsutsumi Reito also secured a victory, knocking out Raymundo Rojas García in the second round.