Mbilli Defends WBC Belt Against Canelo in Riyadh on October 31

Christian Mbilli will make the first defense of his WBC super middleweight title against Canelo Alvarez on Saturday, October 31, in Riyadh. The 12-round fight headlines the "Mexico vs The World" event and will be shown on DAZN pay-per-view.

It was first scheduled for September 12. It was postponed after family matters delayed Alvarez's training camp. Organisers have said the fight remains on despite security concerns following attacks on Riyadh airport.

The champion

Mbilli is 31. He was born on April 26, 1995, in Yaoundé, Cameroon, and moved to France as a child, settling in Montargis, south of Paris. He took up boxing at 15 to defend himself from bullies.

As an amateur he won the European junior title in 2013 and the French title in 2015. Nicknamed "Solide", he represented France at the 2016 Rio Olympics. He reached the middleweight quarter-finals and lost on points to Cuba's Arlen Lopez, who went on to win gold. He turned professional in February 2017.

Mbilli is now based in Montreal, where he trains under Marc Ramsay, who also coaches former undisputed light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev. He is known for coming forward, throwing combinations and trying to overpower opponents.

The record

Mbilli has won 29 of his 30 pro fights, 24 of them by knockout. The one fight he did not win was a split draw with Guatemala's Lester Martinez on September 13, 2025, over 10 rounds in Las Vegas. One judge favored each man and the third scored it even. The fight was on the undercard of Canelo's defeat to Terence Crawford.

Three months before that, Mbilli beat Poland's Maciej Sulecki in the first round to win the interim WBC belt. He was promoted to full champion in January 2026, after Crawford retired and the title became vacant.

The challenger

Alvarez is 36 and has a record of 63 wins, three defeats and two draws, with 39 knockouts. The four-weight world champion is trying to win back the belt he lost to Crawford by unanimous decision.

Mbilli told DAZN he believes his youth, fitness and work rate can upset the odds. "I think it's the best timing for me to have this fight. His power is going down a little bit, but he's still dangerous," he said. "I'm hungrier than him. I think that's the difference between us."

Source: The Sun