Canelo Alvarez defeats Christian Mbilli in Riyadh to reclaim WBC title

Mexican Saul “Canelo” Alvarez defeated France’s Christian Mbilli by unanimous decision over 12 rounds in Riyadh to reclaim the WBC super middleweight world title. The judges scored the bout 115-112, 116-111 and 117-110 for Alvarez, who took control in the second half. It was his first fight since losing to Terence Crawford in September 2025; Mbilli had been elevated to champion in January. The bout went ahead despite escalating conflict between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthis.