Saul “Canelo” Alvarez reclaimed the WBC super middleweight championship on Sunday, defeating France’s Christian Mbilli by decision in Riyadh. The Mexican veteran took control during the second half of the 12-round contest, turning a closely fought opening into a convincing victory in Saudi Arabia.
All three judges scored the bout for Alvarez, returning totals of 115-112, 116-111 and 117-110. The result gave the 36-year-old a title again after his September 2025 defeat by American Terence Crawford, which brought his possession of all four major super middleweight belts to an end.
Alvarez had not fought since that loss. His opponent, the 31-year-old Mbilli, had been elevated to WBC champion in January. For Alvarez, the win added to a collection of world championships spanning divisions from light middleweight through light heavyweight during a professional career stretching across two decades.
Receiving the belt brought an emotional response from Alvarez, who struggled to describe what the victory meant. Speaking in English, he said: “It’s something unbelievable. It feels like my first title”. He recalled winning his first championship 16 years earlier and reflected on becoming a titleholder once more after so many years as a professional.
The opening exchanges offered little indication of how decisively Alvarez would eventually take charge. He appeared calmer in the first round, but Mbilli was putting combinations together by the third and was the busier fighter. The Frenchman seized the initiative in round five, with both men still engaged in a tactical contest.
Alvarez began to impose himself in the sixth round, winning it comfortably through his experience and skill. He strengthened that advantage in the seventh, trapping Mbilli against the ropes and landing a right uppercut that left the French fighter unsteady.
Mbilli then lost a point in round eight for hitting behind the head. His momentum appeared to fade further after the deduction, and Alvarez was increasingly able to set the terms of the contest in the ninth as he extended his advantage over the younger boxer.
The bout proceeded despite an escalating conflict between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthis. Drone and missile attacks launched by the Houthis have prompted the cancellation of other sporting events. Saudi Arabia heads a coalition backing Yemen’s internationally recognised government against the group. Alvarez appeared to allude to the security circumstances when he thanked his family, saying they were watching from afar for the first time.
