Canelo Targets First Title Since Crawford Loss

Canelo Alvarez takes on WBC super middleweight champion Christian Mbilli in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday. The bout airs on DAZN pay-per-view at 1 p.m. ET. Alvarez enters as the challenger in his first title fight since May 2022.

Alvarez holds a record of 63-3-2 with 39 knockouts. His last defeat came against Terence Crawford in September 2025. Mbilli is 29-0-1 with 24 knockouts. He secured the WBC interim title against Maciej Sulecki in June 2025 and drew with Lester Martinez in September. The WBC elevated Mbilli to full champion in January after stripping Crawford of the belt.

Alvarez gives up an inch in height and nearly two inches in reach but remains the betting favorite. DraftKings lists him at -330 to win. The odds for Mbilli to win in the first three rounds stand at +10,000. Alvarez has fought in 28 major title bouts, going 25-3. Mbilli has never contested a full world title previously.

The two boxers share no common opponents across 98 combined professional fights. Neither has ever been knocked down. Mbilli last fought 13 months ago on the undercard of the Crawford bout in Las Vegas. Alvarez has been inactive since his September 2025 loss.

CompuBox data reveals distinct stylistic differences. Mbilli averages 78 punches per round in recent fights, exceeding the division average of 51 by 27. Alvarez is more economical, throwing 35.1 punches per round. Mbilli lands 26.6 power punches per round, while Alvarez lands 8.8. Both fighters exceed the 36.1% division average for power punch accuracy over 12 rounds.

Defensive metrics favor Alvarez. His opponents land only 31.2% of their power punches against him, the sixth best rate in the division. They connect with just 5.3 power punches per round. Mbilli allowed Lester Martinez to land 49% of his power punches in their draw. Neither boxer excels with the jab, with both landing fewer jabs per round than the division average of 4.2.