Canelo Alvarez reclaims WBC super-middleweight title with unanimous decision over Mbilli in Riyadh

Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez reclaimed the WBC super-middleweight title in Riyadh, defeating Christian Mbilli by unanimous decision in his 69th professional fight.

Alvarez, 36, won 117–110, 116–111 and 115–112 on the scorecards, recording his 64th career victory. Mbilli, 31, suffered his first defeat in 31 bouts after being elevated to champion in January. Cameroon-born Mbilli, who trains in Canada, was making the first defence of his WBC title.

The Mexican returned to action more than a year after losing his belts to Terance Crawford, and pundits had questioned whether his skills were declining. His response was emphatic. Alvarez used trademark counter-punching and slick defence throughout. Mbilli pressured Alvarez in the early stages, peppering him against the ropes, with the Mexican looking to land big counters — and responding by dismissively shaking his head to shrug off their impact before goading Mbilli into attacking again. Although Mbilli was throwing more punches, Alvarez was landing the harder shots, with a couple of big right uppercuts finding the mark in round six. The pattern continued in the next few rounds before the defending champion was dealt a further blow by being docked a point for hits to the back of the head.

"It's so difficult to explain," said Alvarez. He described the feeling as "something unbelievable," comparing it to winning his first title after thirty-one years as a professional and sixteen years since his initial title win.

Alvarez did not name a next opponent in his post-fight interview but hinted at a quick return to training. "I'm going to rest. I'm going to keep learning. I'm going to keep working hard," he said. He added that he would "be a couple of weeks off and then come back."

The fight went ahead despite regional security concerns. Two days before the bout, Saudi Press Agency reported that Civil Defence intercepted two ballistic missiles over Riyadh. An earlier missile strike on King Khalid International Airport in October killed 13 people and wounded more than 300. Several other sporting events in Saudi Arabia — including the Six Kings Slam tennis exhibition, the 2026 World Rally Championship final round and the 2026 Urban Cycling World Championships — were cancelled; combat sports events were not.