Canelo Wins WBC Title On Comfortable Night In Riyadh

Canelo Alvarez returned from a 13-month layoff to claim Christian Mbilli's WBC middleweight/" class="internal-link text-bone underline decoration-ash/30 hover:decoration-gold underline-offset-2">super middleweight title by unanimous decision Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The former pound-for-pound king, who last fought in a loss to Terence Crawford in September 2025, controlled the action from the opening bell as Mbilli abandoned his typical pressure style. Per Bad Left Hook's live coverage, Canelo fought at a comfortable pace throughout the 12-rounder, winning 117-110, 116-111, and 115-112 on the cards.

Mbilli's Puzzling Game Plan Backfires

Mbilli, who entered the bout as the defending champion after going to a draw with Lester Martinez on the same Crawford-Canelo card 13 months prior, appeared to lose confidence under the bright lights. Bad Left Hook's Wil Esco noted that Mbilli "really psyched himself out in this fight, abandoning his typical pressure style to try to box with Canelo over the distance." The challenger spent much of the fight circling and trying to outbox the Mexican star rather than imposing his natural aggression.

The most controversial moment came in round eight when Canelo convinced the referee to deduct a point from Mbilli for illegal shots. Esco described it as "A-side treatment," with Canelo effectively calling his own point deduction. The margin turned the round into a 10-8 frame and padded Canelo's lead on the cards.

Mbilli showed brief flashes, including a right hand in round six that landed clean, but rarely followed up on his moments of success. A clean uppercut from Canelo in round seven staggered the champion, who smiled and regained his legs but never mounted sustained pressure. The undercard saw Jaime Munguia survive a scare in the sixth round to beat Nikita Zon by unanimous decision.

Photo: Boxing AIBA / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

Original reporting:

• badlefthook.com — Canelo vs Christian Mbilli: Live blog, round-by-round and results | Bad Left Hook