MONTRÉAL, May 23, 2026 — The biggest fight in Quebec boxing history is now official. Reigning WBC super middleweight world champion Christian Mbilli will defend his title against Mexican superstar Saul “Canelo” Alvarez on September 12, 2026, at ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The highly anticipated showdown, promoted as “Mexico vs. The World” and presented by Riyadh Season, will be broadcast worldwide on DAZN PPV.
“I’ve waited my whole life for this moment,” said Mbilli. “Canelo Alvarez is the greatest test of my career. On September 12, I will deliver a war that boxing fans will never forget and etch my name into the history books.”
Mbilli’s Road to the Title
Montreal’s Christian “Solide” Mbilli (29-0-1, 24 KOs), trained by Marc Ramsay, has earned his shot through an impressive run. He has defeated five top-10 contenders, including standout victories over:
Carlos Góngora
Rohan Murdock
Sergiy Derevyanchenko
Maciej Sulecki (first-round KO to win the interim title)
He then defended his interim belt against dangerous Guatemalan Lester Martinez in a thrilling Fight of the Night (and eventual WBC Fight of the Year) that aired on Netflix in front of nearly 40 million viewers on the undercard of Canelo vs. Crawford. Following Terence Crawford’s retirement and Hamzah Sheeraz’s refusal to fight, the WBC elevated Mbilli to undisputed world champion status.
Canelo Alvarez’s Legendary Career
Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (63-3-2, 39 KOs) enters the bout as the challenger for the first time since 2022. The 35-year-old Mexican icon is a four-division world champion with 14 world titles and 24 world title fights. He became the first undisputed super middleweight champion in 2021 and held the division’s top spot until his loss to Terence Crawford in September 2025. Mbilli will be the 15th undefeated opponent of Canelo’s career.
“We’ve been working for years to make this fight happen,” said Camille Estephan, president of Eye of the Tiger Management (EOTTM). “On September 12, Christian Mbilli won’t just be fighting for the WBC title — he’ll be fighting for all of Quebec.”
Christian Mbilli will hold an open workout for the media on Monday, June 1 at 4:00 p.m. at Bar Le Valet inside the Casino de Montréal. Media interested in attending should contact noe@eottm.com (mailto:noe@eottm.com).
