Canelo Alvarez Reclaims WBC Title With Unanimous Win Over Christian Mbilli in Riyadh
Saul "Canelo" Alvarez has won back the WBC super-middleweight title, beating Christian Mbilli by unanimous decision in Riyadh on Saturday.
The three judges scored it 115-112, 116-111 and 117-110, all for Alvarez. A unanimous decision means every judge had the same fighter ahead, and the fight went the full 12 rounds. The bout took place at Kingdom Arena in Saudi Arabia's capital.
The WBC is one of four major organisations that sanction world titles, and its super-middleweight belt is for fighters weighing up to 168 pounds (about 76 kilograms). Mbilli made 167.8 pounds at the weigh-in and Alvarez 167.7, so both were inside the limit. WBC Boxing reported those figures.
For Alvarez, the result is a return to the top. He lost his belts to Terence Crawford just over a year ago, and this was his first fight without a world title since 2015. The win was the 64th of his professional career, from his 69th bout. He is a four-weight world champion, and BBC Sport noted that the victory returns the belt he had lost.
Mbilli came in as the champion. He was elevated to the full WBC title in January after first holding it on an interim basis, and this was his first defence. Born in Cameroon, he trains in Canada and is based in Montreal. He is 31 years old, and his record now stands at 29-1-1, according to The Ring. The loss to Alvarez was the first defeat of his professional career in 31 bouts against Alvarez, meaning his previous unbeaten run had ended here. Before the fight he had been ranked No. 3 among super-middleweights by The Ring.
Mbilli also lost a point during the fight. The referee deducted it for hits to the back of the head, which are not allowed in boxing. A point taken away can matter on the scorecards, and in this case the judges still gave the fight to Alvarez by at least two rounds on every card.
Why does a title change hands like this matter to casual fans? Boxing has four major belts at each weight, and a fighter who holds more than one of them is called a unified champion. Alvarez's win puts him back in the conversation for the division's biggest names, while Mbilli's first defence ends with a loss he will need to answer.
The card also featured Alan David Picasso against Carl Martin for the WBC Silver featherweight title, a reminder that the organisation's belts run through several weight classes beyond the headline bout.
Boxing is a hard sport, and both men took punishment across 12 rounds. Medical details from the night have not been released.
