Canelo Alvarez Beats Christian Mbilli in Riyadh to Reclaim WBC Title

Mexican star Saul “Canelo” Alvarez has defeated French fighter Christian Mbilli by 12-round decision in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Sunday to regain the WBC super middleweight title.

The three judges scored the contest 115-112, 116-111 and 117-110 in Alvarez's favour, after he exerted his influence in the second half of the fight.

For the 36-year-old Alvarez, it was a comeback bout: he was returning to the ring for the first time since losing to American Terence Crawford in September 2025, a defeat that ended his reign as holder of the division's four major titles.

Mbilli, 31, had been elevated to titleholder in January. The fight began as a tight contest but turned into a convincing victory for Alvarez.

Alvarez was the more composed boxer in the opening round, but by round three Mbilli was ripping off combinations and looking the more active of the two fighters.

The Frenchman took the initiative again in round five, although the bout remained a tactical battle at that stage.

Alvarez began showing his class and ringcraft in the sixth, easily winning the round, and in the seventh he pressed home his advantage, pinning Mbilli to the ropes and delivering a right uppercut that had the Frenchman rocking on his feet.

In the eighth round, Mbilli had a point taken away for punching behind the head. He seemed to lose momentum from then on, allowing Alvarez to dictate the fight from the next round as the veteran pulled ahead.

Struggling for words after receiving the belt, Alvarez said: “It's so difficult to explain. It's something unbelievable. It feels like my first title, now, after 20, 21 years as a professional. Sixteen years ago, I won my first title. Now I won the title again.”

The victory added another world title to a haul that stretches from light middleweight to light heavyweight across a 20-year career.

The fight went ahead despite the escalating conflict between Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Houthis. A host of other sporting events has been called off since the Houthis launched drone and missile attacks on Saudi Arabia. Alvarez hinted at the security situation when he thanked his family “who are watching me from afar today for the first time.”