Canelo Alvarez beats Christian Mbilli on points in Riyadh to win back the WBC super middleweight title
Canelo Alvarez beat Christian Mbilli by unanimous decision in Riyadh to win back the WBC super middleweight title, handing Mbilli his first professional defeat.
Saul "Canelo" Alvarez is a world champion again. The Mexican star beat Christian Mbilli by unanimous decision in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday 31 October to win the WBC super middleweight title. The judges scored it 115-112, 116-111 and 117-110. It was Mbilli's first defeat as a professional, and it was Alvarez's first fight since he lost his undisputed titles to Terence Crawford in September 2025.
How the fight went
Mbilli came in unbeaten at 29-0-1 and started well. Several media scorecards had him level or ahead after four rounds. Alvarez, fighting as a challenger for the first time since 2013, improved as the fight went on. A right uppercut late in the seventh round was described as the cleanest punch of the night up to that point.
There was a point deduction in round eight for a punch to the back of the head, which made it a 10-8 round on most cards. Alvarez controlled most of the second half and won clearly on all three official scorecards.
Alvarez's record is now 64-3-2 with 39 knockouts. Mbilli drops to 29-1-1.
How Mbilli became champion
Mbilli won the WBC interim title with a first-round stoppage of Maciej Sulecki in June 2025. His first defence, three months later, ended in a split draw with Lester Martinez. In January the WBC stripped Crawford and made Mbilli full champion, which set up this fight against Alvarez.
The fight fell close to the 21st anniversary of Alvarez's professional debut, and he has now had 68 pro bouts. After the fight he said he would rest for a couple of weeks before returning. His one quote on what comes next: "I'm going to keep learning, I'm going to keep working hard."
Undercard: Munguia and Espinoza keep their belts
The card, billed as Mexico vs The World, also included two other world title fights:
- Jaime Munguia kept his WBA super middleweight title with a unanimous decision over Nikita Zon (116-112, 117-111, 117-111). That puts Munguia and Alvarez, two Mexicans, in the same division with belts.
- Rafael Espinoza made the fifth defence of his WBO featherweight title, stopping late replacement Ricardo Blandon in round three (1:22) when the ringside doctor ended the fight because of a cut over Blandon's left eye.
Other winners included Japan's Reito Tsutsumi, who stopped Raymundo Rojas Garcia in round two, and the Philippines' Carl Jammes Martin, who beat David Picasso on a split decision to win the WBC Silver featherweight belt.
Malaysia time
The Riyadh card started at 10am US Eastern time, which is 10pm Malaysia time on Saturday. The main event finished in the early hours of Sunday 1 November in Malaysia.
Key takeaways
- Canelo Alvarez beat Christian Mbilli by unanimous decision (115-112, 116-111, 117-110).
- Alvarez wins back the WBC super middleweight title he lost to Terence Crawford in 2025.
- Mbilli lost for the first time in 31 professional fights.
- Jaime Munguia (WBA) and Rafael Espinoza (WBO) both kept their titles on the undercard.
- Alvarez plans a short break before deciding his next fight.
FAQ
What were the scorecards for Canelo vs Mbilli? All three judges scored it for Alvarez: 115-112, 116-111 and 117-110.
Which title did Canelo win? The WBC super middleweight (168lb) world title, which Mbilli had held since the WBC promoted him from interim champion in January.
Who else won on the Riyadh card? Jaime Munguia kept his WBA super middleweight title, and Rafael Espinoza kept his WBO featherweight belt with a third-round stoppage.
Sources: Sky Sports, Boxing Insider, ESPN, Fightmag, Boxing247