Christian Mbilli has not given up on his quest to draw a big name into the ring for his next fight.
Mbilli, the unbeaten and recently crowned WBC 168lbs titlist, is reaching for the stars for his planned first title defense, coming immediately on the heels of being upgraded earlier this week. Mbilli was the interim titlist until Tuesday, when the WBC Board of Governors abandoned its previously sought route of securing a vacant title fight for the Cameroonian Frenchman.
Now, the mission is to secure the type of high-profile opponent that has eluded him during his career while rising through the ranks.
On his list is a mix of former titlists and notable former title challengers – Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, Jaime Munguia, Caleb Plant, Hamzah Sheeraz and Edgar Berlanga.
“Right now, we need a boxer who’s very famous,” Mbilli told BoxingScene and other outlets during a recent virtual media meet. “I need to promote myself, I need to promote my boxing style.
“Canelo, Munguia, Berlanga – they are very famous. We need that type of fighter to promote myself. That’s it. I think we can make a big fight for the fans.”
Mexico’s Alvarez, 63-3-2 (39 KOs), is the first choice for Mbilli, for a variety of obvious reasons.
Alvarez is a former four-division champ and was the undisputed super middleweight king from November 2021 through his loss to Terence “Bud” Crawford on Netflix last September 13 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Mbilli had a close-up view, having fought to a draw with Lester Martinez, 19-0-1 (16 KOs), in their 10-round scorcher on the undercard.
Mbilli entered as the WBC interim 168lbs titlist and Alvarez’s No. 1 contender. He left the ring with the same status, only as next in line for Crawford, 42-0 (31 KOs). However, that option – which was never really on the table – went away altogether when Crawford was stripped of his belt last November and then announced his retirement from the sport a few weeks later.
A vacant WBC 168lbs title fight was ordered between Mbilli and Sheeraz, 22-0-1 (18 KOs), last November. A deal was never reached, and a purse bid was ordered but then subsequently canceled when the WBC declared that the matchup was no longer in play.
Theoretically, it should have triggered a previously ordered rematch with Guatemala’s Martinez. The WBC instead decided to elevate Mbilli, who in turn seeks a more familiar name for his first defense before he looks Martinez’s way down the road.
“We have to see. I think we will have the rematch maybe in the next two or three fights,” noted Mbilli, who is technically in a voluntary title defense stage until the WBC says otherwise. “The goal for my first title defense is to face one of the bigger names. We are world champion, and I want to become even bigger. So why not fight … a boxer who is more famous so that I can promote myself?”
Ironically, Crawford called for the WBC to order the fight on behalf of Martinez, his longtime training stablemate.
Mbilli had to laugh at the suggestion, as the type of high-risk, low-reward fighter who never stood a chance of landing a fight with Crawford, or with Alvarez, for that matter.
“I don’t have to give any attention to this,” Mbilli said, scoffing at the callout. “I respect Crawford. He’s a great fighter and very famous. On our team, we have a goal as well, to become famous, to be the face of boxing. Of course we are going to fight Martinez.
“Right now, I’m world champion. For me, my goal is to fight Canelo. I was, long time, the WBC No. 1 [contender] for Canelo. Right now, I have to show that I am the No. 1 of the division. I don’t care about what Crawford say, but we are going to have this rematch, maybe two to three fights, maybe this year, with Martinez.”
