Christian Mbilli’s promoter believes the unbeaten WBC super middleweight champion is ready to do more than defeat Saul “Canelo” Alvarez on September 12. He believes Mbilli can take over as boxing’s biggest star.
Mbilli (29-0-1, 24 KOs) will defend his WBC title against Canelo in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in one of the biggest fights of his career. The Canada-based fighter was elevated to full champion after Terence Crawford vacated the belt following his retirement.
Promoter Camille Estephan said Mbilli is prepared to make the most of the opportunity.
“I believe Mbilli has what it takes to use this platform to show that he’s number one in the sport,” Estephan said to Sky Sports Boxing.
“His goal is clearly to take the spot of Canelo, and I believe he has everything in place to deliver the performance of his life. Canelo is in trouble.”
Canelo (63-3-2, 39 KOs) remains one of boxing’s most recognizable names despite losing a unanimous decision to Crawford last September. The defeat cost him the WBC, WBA, WBO, and IBF super middleweight titles and ended his reign as the division’s undisputed champion.
While Estephan acknowledged that Canelo’s motivation for taking the fight is clear, he questioned whether the Mexican star will be able to reclaim the belt.
“I believe Canelo wants to fight Mbilli to take back the WBC belt, and that is good enough reason,” Estephan said.
“Now whether he can take it back or not is a different story.
“Mbilli is not going to Riyadh for anything less than an emphatic victory.”
A win over Canelo would be the biggest victory of Mbilli’s career and the first successful defense of the WBC super middleweight title he inherited following Crawford’s retirement.
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Last Updated on 2026/06/18 at 1:02 PM
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