Canelo Alvarez and Christian Mbilli Fight in Riyadh, Exclusively on DAZN

Saul "Canelo" Alvarez and Christian Mbilli were set to fight for the WBC super middleweight world title on Saturday, October 31, at the ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The event is billed as "Mexico vs. The World." Anyone who wanted to watch had to buy it from DAZN, the sports streaming service, which carried it only as a pay-per-view, meaning a one-off paid broadcast.

The WBC is one of boxing's main sanctioning bodies, the organisations that recognise world champions and award the belts. Mbilli became the full WBC champion on January 27, 2026, after holding the organisation's interim title, a temporary belt, at 168 pounds. The Riyadh bout is his first defence, the first time he has had to keep the full title in the ring.

Alvarez is the more experienced fighter. His record stands at 63 wins, three losses and two draws, according to DAZN's fighter listing. He has 39 knockouts and has fought 332 rounds, figures the WBC gave in a September profile. Mbilli's record is 29 wins, no losses and one draw, with 24 knockouts, as listed by DAZN and the WBC.

At the weigh-in, the WBC reported that Mbilli came in at 167.8 pounds and Alvarez at 167.7 pounds. Both were under the 168-pound limit for the super middleweight class.

The fight was also briefly in doubt in public. On October 12, promoter Turki Al-Sheikh said the bout would go ahead in Riyadh despite attacks, according to Al Jazeera. Alvarez told him he "fears nothing" and would fight "no matter what," the same report said.

For viewing times, DAZN's coverage began at 10 a.m. Pacific Time, or 1 p.m. Eastern Time, which is 5 p.m. GMT. The main event ring walks were expected at 1:30 p.m. Pacific and 4:30 p.m. Eastern.

The price depends on how a fan prefers to pay. The standalone pay-per-view cost $79.99. A DAZN Ultimate subscription, starting at $49.99 a month on an annual contract, included the fight at no extra cost.

For a fan who already had the subscription, the fight came with the monthly bill. For everyone else, it was a single purchase on the night. Either way, the fight took place in one arena on one evening, and the broadcast was the only way to see it live.