The highly anticipated return of Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez has now been officially announced, according to Ring Magazine and the official press release issued by Riyadh Season. The announcement confirms that the Mexican superstar will face undefeated WBC super middleweight world champion Christian Mbilli on September 12 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in what will represent another mega event spearheaded by Turki Alalshikh.
The fight, which will officially kick off with its first press conference and face-off on May 23 in Cairo, Egypt, comes exactly one year after the highly publicized clash between Canelo and Terence Crawford in Las Vegas. According to the official release, that event surpassed 41 million viewers on Netflix and became one of the most watched boxing events in recent history, where the Mexican star lost his undisputed super middleweight championship to the American pound for pound great.
For Canelo (63-2-2, 39 KOs), the bout marks another appearance under the massive deal he currently maintains with Turki Alalshikh and Riyadh Season. The Mexican icon will return to Saudi Arabia looking to reclaim the WBC super middleweight title, now held by Mbilli.
Christian Mbilli (29-0-1, 24 KOs), originally from Cameroon and now based in Canada, enters the contest after establishing himself as one of the most dangerous fighters in the 168 pound division. The undefeated champion was elevated to full WBC champion status after previously capturing the interim title against Maciej Sulecki and defending it via Draw decision over Guatemala’s Lester Martinez on the undercard of Canelo-Crawford. Mbilli was later upgraded to full champion in January after Crawford retired from active competition and vacated all of his titles.
In statements included in the official release, Canelo made it clear that his motivation remains as strong as ever despite everything he has already accomplished in the sport.
“After so many years in this sport, my motivation is still the same: to challenge myself, represent Mexico, and continue building my legacy. Mbilli is undefeated and a great fighter, and I respect that. But my focus is always on my preparation, my performance, and giving the fans another great night of boxing,” Álvarez stated.
The fight further reinforces Riyadh Season’s growing dominance within the boxing industry, continuing to establish Saudi Arabia as one of the sport’s major global hubs moving forward. With Canelo once again headlining a Riyadh card and Mbilli finally receiving the biggest opportunity of his career, the matchup is already shaping up as one of the premier boxing events of the 2026 calendar.
