Canelo Alvarez to Face Mbilli for WBC Title in September

Saul "Canelo" Alvarez will challenge WBC super middleweight champion Christian Mbilli in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, this September, according to reports from The Ring magazine. The bout, targeted for Mexican Independence Day weekend around September 12 to 14, marks Alvarez's return following a yearlong layoff and puts the WBC title on the line.

Alvarez, 35, with a record of 63-3-2 and 39 knockouts, has not fought since a unanimous decision loss to Terence Crawford on September 13, 2025, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. That defeat cost him his undisputed super middleweight championship. Crawford retired shortly afterward, fragmenting the division's titles. Alvarez underwent surgery on his left elbow to address loose bodies and has since resumed training.

Mbilli, 31, holds a record of 29-0-1 with 24 knockouts. The Cameroon-born fighter, who represents France and trains in Montreal with Marc Ramsay, was elevated from interim WBC champion to full champion after Crawford's retirement. His most recent bout was a split decision draw against Lester Martinez on the Alvarez-Crawford undercard last September. Prior to that, Mbilli secured a first-round knockout of Maciej Sulecki in June 2025.