Canelo Alvarez will fight on September 12 in Saudi Arabia, confirmed Sheikh Turki Alalshikh, but they did not share who the opponent will be.
The Mexican fighter will have a year without fighting since his previous fight, when he lost to Terence Crawford in September 2025 in Las Vegas and is now recovering from surgery on his left elbow.
Christian Mbilli, dangerous rival for Saul Alvarez
One of the possible rival options that has been considered in recent years for Saul Alvarez is Christian Mbilli, a Frenchman of Cameroonian origin and one of the best ranked in the 168 pounds by the WBC.
A possible fight against Mbilli (29-0-1) would not be a good idea for the Guadalajara native, warns former world welterweight champion Andre Berto.
“Mbilli is dangerous and violent. He’s not going to worry about your health or his own. Is that the kind of fight Canelo wants after that loss? I just don’t think it’s a smart fight,” he told the Inside The Ring podcast.
Christian Mbilli has no rival either
Christian Mbilli was in plans to fight Hamzah Sheeraz (22-0-1) under the mandate of the World Boxing Council, but negotiations were canceled, confirmed its president Mauricio Sulaiman on Wednesday, January 20.
“The WBC cancels the decision of the order Mbilli vs Sheeraz. Consequently, the auction scheduled for Wednesday is cancelled.”
Another possibility for Mbilli would be the rematch against Honduran Lester Martinez (19-0-1), with whom he fought to a 10-round draw on the same Alvarez vs Crawford card last September.
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