Canelo reclaims WBC super‑middleweight crown as Mbilli’s team questions point deduction
Canelo Alvarez won a unanimous decision in Riyadh, but Mbilli’s promoter says the referee may have been swayed to penalize his fighter.
What a night in Riyadh! Canelo Alvarez reclaimed the WBC super‑middleweight title, beating Christian Mbilli by unanimous decision on Saturday.
The three judges scored the bout 115‑112, 116‑111 and 117‑110 in favor of the Mexican superstar.
During the eighth round, referee Hector Afu docked a point from Mbilli for striking the back of the head. The deduction came after Canelo gestured toward the official following an exchange on the ropes.
Mbilli’s promoter, Camille Estephan, said, “Close fight, hats off to Canelo – a great performance.” He added that it “seemed like he was influenced to take that point off,” though he admitted he could not know the referee’s mindset.
Estephan also emphasized that “there will be many more big fights for Christian. He belongs.”
Canelo was returning to the ring a year after his loss to Terence Crawford, which had stripped him of the undisputed super‑middleweight crown.
Mbilli, a 31‑year‑old Cameroon‑born boxer, had been elevated to full WBC champion after Crawford left the division, having previously secured the interim title with a June 2025 win over Maciej Sulecki.
Earlier in the night, Mbilli fought to a split draw with Lester Martinez on the undercard of the Alvarez‑Crawford showdown, ending a streak of 29 straight professional victories.
In an Instagram post translated from French, Mbilli wrote: “Last night didn’t go the way I wanted. I’ll learn from this experience, get back in the gym, and come back stronger. Thank you to my team and to all of you for your messages of support.”
The drama continues, and the boxing world will be watching what comes next.
