Saúl Alvarez regains the WBC world title by defeating Christian Mbilli in Riyadh

Mexican boxer Saúl 'Canelo' Alvarez defeated Frenchman Christian Mbilli on points in a 12-round fight in Riyadh and once again became the WBC super middleweight world champion. For the 31-year-old Mbilli, this is the first defeat of his career. The fight took place against the backdrop of other sporting events in Saudi Arabia being cancelled due to the conflict with the Houthis.

Otabek YusupovFirst published on tafs uz 1 November 2026 at 05:472 min read

The key facts

Alvarez defeated Mbilli by judges' decision after 12 rounds and regained the WBC belt at the 76.2 kg weight class
This is the Mexican's first fight since his defeat by Terence Crawford in September 2025
Alvarez's guaranteed purse is $47 million, Mbilli's is about $9 million

Alvarez regains the WBC belt

Mexican boxer Saúl 'Canelo' Alvarez has regained the WBC world super middleweight title (up to 76.2 kg) by defeating Frenchman Christian Mbilli in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia). The opponents went the full 12 rounds, reports Life.ru. According to the AFP agency, Alvarez confidently controlled the second half of the fight: in the seventh round he pinned Mbilli against the ropes and landed a right uppercut that staggered the Frenchman, and in the eighth Mbilli had a point deducted for a blow to the back of the head, after which the initiative passed entirely to the Mexican.

Mbilli's first defeat and the comeback after Crawford

For the 31-year-old Mbilli, this is the first defeat of his professional career: before that, he had 29 wins (24 by knockout) and one draw. The Frenchman previously held the WBC interim world title and made one successful defense; in January he was elevated to full titleholder, and the fight against Alvarez was his first attempt to win a full world title (AFP). For the 36-year-old Alvarez, this is a return to the ring after his defeat by American Terence Crawford in September 2025, when he lost his undisputed world champion status. After the fight, the Mexican said: 'This is something incredible. It feels like my first title. 16 years ago I won my first title, and now I've won a title again.'

Context and purses

According to Boxing Scene, cited by Life.ru, Alvarez's guaranteed purse will be $47 million and could grow through pay-per-view and sponsors — roughly half of what he earned for the Crawford fight. Mbilli was guaranteed about nine million dollars. Over his career, Alvarez has been a world champion in four weight classes; he now has 64 wins (39 by knockout), three losses and two draws. AFP notes that the fight took place despite the escalation of the conflict between Saudi Arabia and the Yemeni Houthis: a number of other sporting events in the country, including the Six Kings Slam tennis exhibition and the final stage of the World Rally Championship, were cancelled, but combat sports competitions continued.