Boxing fans will have to wait a little longer for Canelo Alvarez’s highly anticipated return to the ring. According to Ring Magazine, Alvarez’s scheduled showdown against WBC super middleweight champion Christian Mbilli has been postponed from its original Sept. 12 date in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to late October.
The delay pushes back Alvarez’s first appearance in more than a year as the Mexican superstar continues his comeback from injury.
Alvarez (63-3-2, 39 KOs) has not competed since dropping his undisputed super middleweight championship to Terence Crawford last September in one of the biggest fights in recent boxing history.
Following the defeat, Alvarez underwent elbow surgery and was forced to the sidelines for the remainder of 2025 and the first half of 2026. His return had been scheduled for Sept. 12, but fans will now have to wait until late October to see the former undisputed champion back in action.
Mbilli Awaits Biggest Fight of His Career
Christian Mbilli (29-0-1, 24 KOs) enters the bout as the reigning WBC super middleweight champion. After Crawford announced his retirement in December and vacated his titles. Mbilli was elevated from interim champion to full WBC titleholder in January.
The unbeaten French-Cameroonian has long sought a marquee opponent, and a showdown with Alvarez represents the biggest opportunity of his career.
When the fight was first announced in April. It was viewed as Alvarez’s chance to reclaim one of the world titles he lost to Crawford. Although the postponement delays those plans, the stakes remain unchanged.
A victory would move Alvarez one step closer to returning to the top of the super middleweight division. While Mbilli has the opportunity to cement himself as one of boxing’s elite by defeating one of the sport’s biggest global stars.
With the new date expected to fall in late October. Both fighters will now have additional time to prepare for one of the year’s most anticipated championship matchups.
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Robert LaMar is a Deputy Editor for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X via @RobertLaMar26
