Canelo Alvarez wins back WBC super middleweight title, outpointing unbeaten Christian Mbilli in Riyadh on his return at 36
Canelo Alvarez took the WBC title from Christian Mbilli on scores of 117-110, 116-111 and 115-112 in his first fight since losing to Crawford in 2025.
At a glance
- Canelo Alvarez, 36, beat Christian Mbilli by unanimous decision in Riyadh on Saturday, October 31, 2026, to win the WBC super middleweight title.
- The judges scored it 117-110, 116-111 and 115-112; Mbilli lost a point in round eight for hitting behind the head, a decision that drew criticism.
- It was Alvarez's first fight in about 13 months, after his loss to Terence Crawford in September 2025 and elbow surgery.
- Jaime Munguia kept the WBA title against Nikita Zon, and Rafael Espinoza retained the WBO featherweight belt with a third-round stoppage.
Canelo Alvarez is the WBC super middleweight champion again. The 36-year-old Mexican beat Christian Mbilli by unanimous decision in Riyadh on Saturday, October 31, 2026, on scores of 117-110, 116-111 and 115-112. It was his first fight since Terence Crawford took his belts in September 2025, and it handed Mbilli the first defeat of his professional career.
| Judge's card | Alvarez | Mbilli |
|---|---|---|
| Judge 1 | 117 | 110 |
| Judge 2 | 116 | 111 |
| Judge 3 | 115 | 112 |
How the fight turned after the fourth round
Through the first four rounds, this looked like the coin-toss some had expected. Mbilli, younger and busier, tried to swamp Alvarez with volume. His straight punches backed the Mexican up when they landed, and he had clear moments on the ropes.
Then the pattern changed. From around the halfway mark Alvarez set the tempo, jabbing well, snapping Mbilli's head back with uppercuts and landing his right hook almost at will. Mbilli's attacks lost their conviction as the rounds passed, and he seemed to have no second plan to fall back on.
He found one late burst. In the final round an overhand right got through, and the two traded to the bell, but it came too late to change anything on the cards. Alvarez roared when the verdict was read.
The point deduction people are arguing about
The moment most likely to be replayed came in round eight. The referee took a point from Mbilli for hitting behind the head, after Alvarez had complained about it. Critics called the call harsh and accused the Mexican of working the referee, and it took some of the steam out of Mbilli.
It did not decide the result. Take that point away and Alvarez still wins all three cards, by margins of two to six points.
From Crawford and surgery to a belt in Riyadh
Alvarez had been out for roughly 13 months after losing to Crawford and then having elbow surgery. Doubts about his age and his hunger had built up during that time. Mbilli, meanwhile, had come to hold the WBC belt after Crawford retired, and arrived unbeaten; his record now reads 29-1-1.
The Mexican lost all of his super middleweight titles to Crawford, so this win gives him back only one of them. His countryman Jaime Munguia holds another.
A big night for Mexican boxing on the undercard
Munguia made the first defence of his WBA title in the co-main event, though he had a difficult evening. Nikita Zon came close to stopping him in a dramatic sixth round before Munguia's body punching wore him down. The cards read 117-111, 117-111 and 116-112.
| Fight | Result | At stake |
|---|---|---|
| Canelo Alvarez vs Christian Mbilli | Alvarez, unanimous decision | WBC super middleweight |
| Jaime Munguia vs Nikita Zon | Munguia, unanimous decision | WBA super middleweight |
| Rafael Espinoza vs Ricardo Blandon | Espinoza, TKO round 3 | WBO featherweight |
| Carl Jammes Martin vs David Picasso | Martin, split decision | 10-round featherweight bout |
| Bek Nurmaganbet vs Marcos Vazquez | Nurmaganbet, KO round 1 | Super middleweight bout |
Who Alvarez could fight next
Unbeaten Briton Hamzah Sheeraz was at ringside, hoping to put himself in line for the fight. A rematch with Dmitry Bivol, the light heavyweight who also beat Alvarez, is one he has long wanted; a return with Crawford looks out of reach since the American has retired. A title unification with Munguia would be an obvious all-Mexican option, but no next opponent has been confirmed.
