Canelo Alvarez’s Next Fight: Who Is Christian Mbilli?

Canelo vs. Mbilli Key Facts

Is Canelo vs. Mbilli Still On?

As of Tuesday, yes. No postponement or cancellation has been announced. Security in Saudi Arabia is the main question hanging over it.

A missile strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Oct. 10 killed at least 12 people and injured more than 300, The Guardian reported. Alalshikh wrote afterward that Alvarez told him he would “still fight in Riyadh this October, no matter what happens.” The U.S. ordered non-emergency government employees to leave Saudi Arabia on Oct. 21, Yahoo Sports reported.

Alvarez arrived in Riyadh on Monday. “I feel great. I can’t wait to step in the ring,” he told Reuters. The undercard has already changed. FightMag reported that the IBF super lightweight bout between Lindolfo Delgado and Arthur Biyarslanov was left off the promotion’s latest card after Delgado’s team declined to travel over safety concerns.

Who Is Christian Mbilli?

Mbilli is 31 years old and 29-0-1 with 24 knockouts. He was born April 26, 1995, in Yaoundé, Cameroon, according to Olympedia. He boxes for France, lives in Montreal and is nicknamed “Solide.” He is trained by Marc Ramsay and managed by Camille Estephan’s Eye of the Tiger, which works with Top Rank, per his Eye of the Tiger bio.

He represented France at the 2016 Rio Olympics as a middleweight. Olympedia lists him as a quarterfinalist. He turned pro on Feb. 9, 2017, and Top Rank notes that he knocked out his first 13 opponents.

His résumé includes wins over Carlos Gongora, Rohan Murdock, Mark Heffron and Sergiy Derevyanchenko, per Top Rank’s fight history. On June 27, 2025, in Quebec City, he won the WBC interim title with a first-round stoppage of Maciej Sulecki at 2:28, the WBC said.

His only blemish came on the Alvarez-Crawford undercard in Las Vegas on Sept. 13, 2025. Mbilli and Lester Martinez fought to a 10-round split draw, with scores of 95-95, 93-97 for Martinez and 96-94 for Mbilli, per the Nevada Athletic Commission. The WBC named it its 2025 Fight of the Year.

The WBC elevated Mbilli from interim to full champion on Jan. 27 in Mexico City, after Terence Crawford, who beat Alvarez for the belt, retired. He has not fought since the draw.

What Has Mbilli Said About Canelo?

“He’s old now, but he’s still very dangerous,” Mbilli said, per The Ring. “I’m hungrier than him. I think that’s the difference between us.”

At the May news conference announcing the fight, he said, “Be ready – you’re going to be surprised.” Alvarez answered that Mbilli has “zero percent” chance of beating him, The Ring reported.

Where Does Canelo Stand Before His Return?

Alvarez is 36 and 63-3-2 with 39 knockouts. This is his first fight since a unanimous decision loss to Crawford on Sept. 13, 2025, which cost him his undisputed super middleweight championship. Yahoo Sports reported that he later had elbow surgery. He has not fought in about 13 months.

The fight was originally set for Sept. 12. Boxingnews.com reported it was moved to Oct. 31 after family matters delayed Alvarez’s camp. Alvarez trained in Spain alongside Oleksandr Usyk’s team.

He has said the Crawford loss was partly mental. “The week of the fight my mind wasn’t there,” he told Reuters.

How Can You Watch Canelo vs. Mbilli?

The DAZN pay-per-view main card is scheduled to begin at about 2 p.m. ET (1 p.m. CT), with ring walks expected near 6 p.m. ET (5 p.m. CT), per Yahoo Sports. Pay-per-view costs $79.99 in the U.S. Alvarez is the betting favorite at -260, with Mbilli at +200, according to the same report.

Start times may change as fight week develops.