Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez calls to an end a one-year hiatus from boxing as he will return to the ring September for a super middleweight fight against Christian Mbilli in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, per Ring Magazine.
The Mexican legend hasn’t boxed since he was resoundingly beaten by Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas in 2025 but appears hellbent on reclaiming as many, if not all, of the major championships in the 168-pound division after the belts were freed up once again following Crawford’s retirement.
Mbilli won the WBC interim super middleweight world title when he finished Mciej Sulecki in the very first round of a fight in June, last year, and retained the belt with a split draw against Lester Martinez on the Canelo-Crawford undercard. The WBC elevated him to full champion in January, 2026.
The fight was not well received by Canelo’s former promoter Oscar de la Hoya, who told reporters in Vegas recently that he didn’t like the opponent, or the location.
“I don’t like the fight,” he said. “Mbilli? come on.”
He added: “If it’s not going to be in the US … again we have to watch a fight at 9 a.m. I’m not a fan of that. I’d have loved Canelo to fight here in Las Vegas, in September, with all his fans cheering him on. That’s what fight fans want to experience — big events. The fighter wants thousands cheering him on.”
“I think every fighter has his peak and then you start to see the exit clearly. Canelo is right there. A few fights away from retirement.”
— Oscar de la Hoya sees the end of Canelo’s career
The Mbilli fight will be the 69th of Canelo’s illustrious career, according to the official record-keeper of boxing, Boxrec. Canelo’s team, through Eddy Reynoso, though, alluded to Boxing Social in recent years that the fighter competed in a number of fights that weren’t included on his record during the early stage of his career in Mexico. Possibly up to 80, in total.
Aged 35, the end may be in sight for the fighter, de la Hoya said.
“I don’t blame him from taking the money and running but I do feel he has a few good fights left in him against great fighters,” he said. “But not Mbilli.”
