The verdict on Canelo Álvarez for the fight against Mbilli: “He is in decline”
The Mexican and the Frenchman battle it out for the WBC 168-pound championship
C anelo Álvarez is in the final stage of his preparation for his fight against Christian Mbilli next October 31 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia .
At stake will be the WBC Super Middleweight title, which Terence Crawford vacated upon his retirement after defeating the Mexican in September 2025.
Christian Mbilli looks superior to Saúl Álvarez
While Saúl Álvarez (63-3-2) looks to regain that belt, Mbilli (29-0-1) has his first title opportunity at 31 years old, five years younger than the man from Guadalajara , so he feels he is in a better place heading into the fight.
“I’m 31 years old and in the best shape of my life. I also have the experience of the biggest stage from my last fight (a draw with Lester Martínez on the Canelo-Crawford card). So I believe my entire career has led me to this moment.”
“Canelo is now 36 years old and has spent more than twenty in professional boxing. I would have accepted this fight five years ago, but if you think about it calmly, for the past five years I have been improving while he has been declining . I imagine life knew when the time should come,” shares the native of Cameroon with AFP.
CMB, Mbilli's path to reaching Canelo Álvarez
Christian Mbilli acknowledges that in those years it was complicated to get a fight with Canelo Álvarez, but with the WBC belt at stake, that path he now has in front of him was a bit easier.
“ It was always my team’s plan to make me inevitable for Canelo. His case is special, we knew we could never force him to fight me, but by going after the belt, especially the WBC one, which has a lot of recognition in Mexico , we have really started to make ourselves noticed,” he said in the interview.
