Canelo Alvarez is expected to challenge Christian Mbilli for the WBC super middleweight title in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in September. While the bout is yet to be officially announced, The Ring reported that the two fighters “have a done deal to fight.”
Mexico’s Alvarez (62-3-2, 39 KOs) is expected to step through the ropes for the first time in a year since he lost his undisputed 168-pound title to Terence Crawford. The return, initially reported in January, was announced to headline the first Canelo Promotions event billed as “Mexico Against the World.”
The opponent for the 35-year-old Guadalajara native, Canelo, has now been named as Cameroonian-French Mbilli (29-0-1, 24 KOs). The Montreal, Canada-based 31-year-old holds the WBC title after being elevated to full champion in January following Crawford’s retirement.
In his previous outing on the Canelo vs Crawford undercard last September, Mbilli fought Lester Martinez to a split draw after claiming the interim title by first-round knockout against Maciej Sulecki last June.
Further details, including the event date, venue, and undercard information, are expected to be announced shortly.