Canelo and Mbilli Both Return After 13 Months Away

Canelo Alvarez fights Christian Mbilli on Saturday, Oct. 31, for the WBC super middleweight championship. Both men have been out of the ring for about 13.5 months. They last appeared on the same night, Sept. 13, 2025, in Las Vegas, and neither had his hand raised at the end.

Alvarez lost that night to Terence Crawford. Mbilli fought a draw with Lester Martinez.

Two records

Alvarez is 36 and 63-3-2 with 39 knockouts. He has had 68 professional fights and turned pro 21 years ago. His other defeats came against Floyd Mayweather in 2013 and Dmitry Bivol in 2022, the latter at the other man's weight. The Crawford fight was at his preferred 168 pounds, with the undisputed title on the line.

Before Crawford he had won six in a row. The list includes Gennadiy Golovkin, John Ryder, Jermell Charlo, Jaime Munguia, Edgar Berlanga and William Scull. Each of those fights went the full 12 rounds.

Mbilli is 31 and 29-0-1 with 24 knockouts. His draw with Martinez came in a 10-round interim title fight. He has been scheduled for 12 rounds only once before.

The Bad Left Hook preview describes Mbilli as a fighter who walks forward and lets his hands go in combinations, then covers up while his opponent throws back. It says he has had stamina problems in the past. It describes Alvarez as a composed, calculated boxer who has taken punches well throughout his career.

Staff picks

Scott picks Alvarez by unanimous decision. He expects him to win eight or nine rounds. "Even a diminished Canelo is coming down from levels Mbilli could only be imagined at," he wrote.

Patrick also picks Alvarez by unanimous decision. He said he would like to see a changing of the guard at super middleweight, where Mbilli, Osleys Iglesias, Lester Martinez and Jacob Bank are rising. He wrote that Mbilli's trouble keeping his pace and his struggles to finish top-level opponents point to another Alvarez showcase.

Source: Bad Left Hook