Boxing: Saul "Canelo" Alvarez triumphs over Frenchman Christian Mbili by decision and reclaims the WBC super middleweight title.

Published on: 01/11/2026 - 00:28

2 min Reading time

“Canelo,” a true sports icon who has won world titles in four different weight classes throughout his career, handed Mbilli his first professional defeat after a controlled fight, winning by unanimous decision from the judges. “I don’t know what to say, it’s just incredible,” said the visibly emotional Mexican after the fight.

“After 21 years as a professional, and nearly 16 years after my first title, to reclaim a belt is crazy,” added the king “Canelo,” who recorded his 64th victory (with 3 losses and 2 draws) with this win against Mbilli, who was previously undefeated (29 wins).

For the Frenchman, this was the biggest fight of his career, and he never really managed to gain the upper hand over the Mexican boxer in a clash of contrasting styles: Mbilli, nicknamed “Solide,” is a powerful puncher who never backs down, while “Canelo” relied on patience and technique, conserving his punches while being much more effective. Mbilli threw 324 punches during this 12-round fight, with only 91 landing, while Alvarez threw 186 punches, with 132 landing effectively, costing the Frenchman the victory. With this bitter first defeat, the native of Yaoundé, Cameroon, must relinquish his WBC super middleweight title, which he won in January after the retirement of American Terence Crawford.