Christian Mbilli is set to defend his WBC super middleweight title against Canelo Alvarez in Riyadh in October. The exact fight date is expected to be announced shortly.
- The contest, which was originally scheduled for September 12, has recently been reported as postponed. Mbilli’s management, Eye of the Tiger (EOTTM), confirmed on Monday that Riyadh Season had decided to postpone the matchup by a month.
“Whether it’s in September or October, Christian Mbilli will leave the ring victorious,” said promoter Camille Estephan. “And now more than ever, Canelo will have absolutely no excuse for not being fully prepared.”
Montreal-based Cameroonian-French fighter Mbilli (29-0-1, 24 KOs) initially claimed the interim title in mid-last year by a first-round TKO against Maciej Sulecki. He then retained the belt via a split draw with Lester Martinez in September on the undercard of Canelo’s fight against Terence Crawford.
Mexico’s Canelo (62-3-2, 39 KOs) hasn’t fought since he lost his undisputed 168-pound title to Crawford by unanimous decision.
- Mbilli was elevated to full champion in January following Crawford’s retirement.
“I’ve been waiting for this fight for years. One more month or one less won’t change anything,” Mbilli said. “My time will come.”
Further event details, including venue and ticket information, are expected to follow in the coming weeks.