Mexican Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez reclaimed the WBC super middleweight title with a unanimous decision victory over previously undefeated Christian Mbilli in Riyadh on Saturday night.
The fighting took place at the 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. Several events in the kingdom have been canceled or postponed, including the Six Kings Slam tennis exhibition.
Álvarez, 36, fighting for the first time in more than a year, relied on his counter punches and precise body shots to defeat the aggressive French champion and reestablish himself among boxing’s elite.
The judges scored the match 115-112, 116-111 and 117-110 in favor of the Mexican. (The Guardian had 117-110.)
“It’s something incredible. It’s like my first title. Now after 21 years as a professional, 16 years ago I won my first title. Now I won this title again. I’m so proud of my team,” Canelo said in English.
“I love boxing. That’s why I’m here, because I still love boxing and I enjoy it a lot.”
Mbilli, who entered the fight with a record of 29 wins and one draw, sought to destabilize Álvarez with relentless pressure and a higher volume of punches. But the challenger landed the sharper punches, including a sharp uppercut that sent Mbilli reeling in the seventh round.
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.
This defeat cost Álvarez his undisputed super middleweight crown, ending his reign as holder of all four major titles in the division.
The contest took place three weeks after a missile strike on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport killed at least 12 people and injured more than 300. A second projectile hit a passenger terminal the next day, according to the Saudi-led military coalition, while several international airlines suspended flights to the kingdom due to the growing threat to civil aviation.
Turki al-Sheikh, chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority and one of boxing’s most influential power men, said earlier this month that Álvarez had personally assured him that he would continue the fight regardless of the security situation. “Canelo contacted me and told me he would still fight in Riyadh in October no matter what,” Al-Sheikh wrote on social media. “He’s not afraid of anything.”
This escalation threatens Saudi Arabia’s ambitions to establish itself as a global destination for major sporting events. The kingdom has become a dominant force in professional boxing under Al-Sheikh, using its considerable financial resources to attract some of the sport’s biggest names, even as its growing sporting footprint has drawn scrutiny over its human rights record and accusations of sports whitewashing.
Álvarez made a brief, seemingly oblique reference to the circumstances surrounding the fight during his post-fight remarks, thanking his family members who were watching from afar rather than from ringside.
“I also want to thank my family, who are watching me from afar today for the first time,” he said in Spanish. “My brothers and sisters, my parents, my daughters, my son and my wife – who also could not come due to certain circumstances. »
Álvarez did not elaborate on these circumstances or explicitly link their absence to the security situation.
Mbilli, 31, had been elevated to full WBC champion following Crawford’s departure from the division, having previously held the interim title.
The Cameroonian-born boxer fought to a draw against Lester Martínez on the undercard of the Álvarez-Crawford showdown, ending a streak of 29 consecutive professional victories.
Saturday’s result improved Álvarez’s record to 64 wins, three losses and two draws and handed Mbilli the first defeat of his professional career.
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