Canelo Alvarez reaffirms love for boxing after reclaiming super-middleweight title

In Riyadh, Saul "Canelo" Alvarez reaffirmed his love for boxing after reclaiming the super-middleweight title for the second time in his career. The 36-year-old Mexican boxer defeated French champion Christian Mbilli by unanimous decision on Saturday. After a week marked by security concerns leading to the cancellation of several events, Alvarez returned to the ring for the first time in over a year.

He relied on his signature counter-punching and precise body shots to overpower Mbilli, who entered the bout with a record of 29 wins and one draw. The judges scored the fight 115-112, 116-111 and 117-110 in Canelo's favor. Alvarez expressed his pride in his team and his continued passion for the sport, stating that boxing remains his greatest joy.

The victory marked a significant comeback for Alvarez, who had suffered only three defeats in his professional career, the last one coming against American Terence Crawford in September 2025. This loss ended Alvarez's streak as the undisputed super-middleweight champion, having held the title and its four major belts since 2018.

Mbilli, 31, had been elevated to full WBC champion following Crawford's departure from the division. The Cameroon-born boxer had previously held the interim title and had been on an impressive 29-fight winning streak prior to his loss to Alvarez. With this win, Alvarez improved his record to 64 wins, three losses and two draws, while Mbilli recorded his first professional defeat.