Canelo Álvarez regains WBC title with unanimous decision over Mbilli in Riyadh

Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez regained the WBC super-middleweight championship with a unanimous points victory over Christian Mbilli in Riyadh on October 31, 2026. The contest at Kingdom Arena went ahead amid heightened security concerns, returning Álvarez to world-title status after his September 2025 defeat by Terence Crawford.¹²⁵

A return to championship status

The judges awarded Álvarez the bout by scores of 115-112, 116-111 and 117-110. The Japan Times said the 36-year-old had not competed in over a year. With the result, his career tally became 64 victories, three losses and two draws.²⁵¹

Mbilli arrived with 29 victories and one draw. That draw, a split decision against Lester Martínez, came on the undercard of Álvarez’s meeting with Crawford. Mbilli subsequently became full WBC champion after Crawford left the division; the defeat in Riyadh was his first as a professional.¹²

FOX Sports reported that Álvarez varied the pace of the exchanges and increasingly met Mbilli’s forward movement with cleaner counterpunching. The outlet also reported that referee Hector Afu took a point from Mbilli for hitting the back of Álvarez’s head.⁵

Álvarez credited trainer Eddy Reynoso with telling him to move, box and keep using his jab, according to FOX Sports. He said he had anticipated a strong opponent but believed he had restricted Mbilli’s attack. He did not immediately commit to facing another opponent.⁵

Crawford’s unanimous-decision win in September 2025 had inflicted only the third defeat of Álvarez’s professional career. According to The Japan Times, it also ended his undisputed super-middleweight championship. After reclaiming the WBC belt, Álvarez said: “It’s something unbelievable. It feels like my first title.”¹²⁵

Security concerns around the contest

In the week leading up to the bout, the Saudi-led coalition reported stopping missiles and drones fired by the Iran-aligned Houthis. Several events in Saudi Arabia were cancelled or postponed amid security concerns, including the Six Kings Slam tennis exhibition.¹²

According to The Guardian, an attack using a missile hit King Khalid International Airport three weeks ahead of the bout, leaving at least 12 dead and over 300 injured. The Saudi-led military coalition said another projectile hit a passenger terminal the following day.¹

Turki al-Sheikh said Álvarez had assured him that he would fight in Riyadh regardless of developments. In his post-fight remarks, Álvarez thanked family members watching from elsewhere. The Guardian noted that he did not explicitly attribute their absence to the security situation.¹