Canelo Alvarez, challenger, sees himself as champ against Christian Mbilli

Saul "Canelo" Alvarez is relishing his stance as the challenger ahead of his bid to claim a super middleweight title from France’s Christian Mbilli.

The contest is scheduled to take place Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, despite concerns for safety and an aerial threat warning being issued just hours before Thursday’s press conference. Both Alvarez and Mbilli were in attendance at the presser and expressed their happiness to be in the war-torn country ahead of the bout.

Mexico’s Alvarez, 63-3-2 (39 KOs), will be fighting for the first time since losing his undisputed 168lbs title to Terence Crawford in September 2025. Crawford, who has since retired from the sport, outclassed Alvarez for much of the contest. Following the contest, Crawford was stripped of the famous green-and-gold belt by the WBC for failing to pay his sanctioning fees for the bout. Mbilli was then promoted from interim to full titleholder, and now Alvarez will attempt to win back the belt he first claimed in 2020 by defeating Callum Smith.

“Being champion again after Saturday, after over 20 years [as a professional] … I am very excited, very happy with all of my career,” said the 36-year-old Alvarez. “It seems like yesterday [that I started].

“I’m the challenger now, but guess what? Always, in my mind, I’m the champion – since I was a little kid. Tune in on Saturday, because it’s going to be a special night.”

Alvarez, who had surgery on his elbow after his loss to Crawford, was never considering an easier opponent following his 13-month layoff.

“I don’t believe in shortcuts. That’s why I go straight to the champion,” he said. “I already have that experience. I’ve been a champion many years and I hope to be a champion again. I want to face the best, and he’s a champion, that’s it.”

Mbilli will also be competing for the first time in 13 months, after he defended an interim title with a 10-round draw against Lester Martinez on the undercard of Alvarez-Crawford. France’s Mbilli, who is based out in Canada with trainer Marc Ramsey, believes he has prepared diligently ahead of a potentially life-changing contest.

“I’m ready for this fight. I’m ready to shock the world,” said Mbilli, 29-0-1 (24 KOs). “I have a big respect for Canelo and all his career. I want to congratulate him for this, but Saturday will be a different story. I’m coming for the win.

“My training camp was perfect. It was the biggest training camp for me. I’m beyond ready for this fight. I don’t need anything else to win or something like that. I only need to be myself, and that is why I’m going to win this fight.”