Canelo Alvarez is once again the WBC super middleweight champion after beating Christian Mbilli by unanimous decision in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday 31 October 2026. The judges scored the 12-round contest 115-112, 116-111 and 117-110 in favour of the Mexican superstar, who controlled much of the action against the previously unbeaten champion.

Mbilli had a point deducted in the eighth round for a punch to the back of the head, a moment that underlined his frustration as Alvarez's ring intelligence and precision punching took over. The defeat, Mbilli's first as a professional, leaves his record at 29-1-1, while Alvarez improved to 64-3-2. Alvarez outlanded Mbilli 158-117, according to punch statistics reported after the fight.

A return after 13 months away

The bout was Alvarez's first since his defeat by Terence Crawford last September, a loss that cost him his undisputed super middleweight title. He returned after a 13-month absence following left elbow surgery, and the performance answered questions about whether, at 36 and more than two decades into his career, he still had enough left to compete at boxing's elite level.

Mbilli had been elevated from interim champion to full WBC champion before the bout, setting up Saturday's showdown as his first defence of the full title. Alvarez declined after the fight to name his next opponent, saying he wants time off to spend with his family. For now, the story is the comeback itself: a former undisputed champion, written off by some, back on top of his division.