Canelo watched the Crawford loss five times. Now he has to get past unbeaten Mbilli

Canelo Alvarez has watched his loss to Terence Crawford five times. He says he knows exactly what went wrong. But before he can think about a rematch, he has a big problem in front of him.

THE FIGHT

Canelo challenges Christian Mbilli for the WBC super middleweight title on October 31 at The Venue in Riyadh. Mbilli, from Cameroon, is 29-0-1 with 24 knockouts. He won the interim title and was later elevated to full champion, so this is his first defence.

It is Canelo's first fight in more than a year. He lost to Crawford by unanimous decision in September 2025, then had surgery on his left elbow.

"I KNOW MY MISTAKES"

Canelo has been open about the Crawford fight. "I know what happened and I know my mistakes," he said. He believes the fight was closer than many people think, and he wants a rematch.

There is one problem: Crawford is retired. Dana White has said the right fight could bring him back, but nothing has been agreed.

TRAINING AT USYK'S GYM

For this camp, Canelo did something different. He trained at Oleksandr Usyk's gym in Gandia, Spain, working with Usyk's strength and conditioning staff while Eddy Reynoso still runs the boxing side. "In strength and conditioning, I am learning new things," Canelo said.

He also picked Spain on purpose. The time difference to Riyadh is much smaller than from Mexico or the US, which should help him adjust to a main event that starts around 3am local time.

CAN HE STILL DO IT?

Canelo is 36 now. Mbilli is younger, never stops coming forward, and throws a lot of punches. To win, Canelo will need to keep his work rate up for all 12 rounds. A win puts a belt back around his waist and keeps the Crawford rematch dream alive. A loss would be the biggest upset of his career.

WHEN TO WATCH

Saturday night, October 31, at The Venue in Riyadh, on DAZN pay-per-view. The main event is expected at 8pm ET, which is 3am on Sunday, November 1 in Riyadh and 4am in the UAE.

THE RECORDS

Canelo Alvarez is 63-3-2 (39 KOs). Christian Mbilli is 29-0-1 (24 KOs). Terence Crawford retired at 42-0, and Oleksandr Usyk is 25-0.

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