Mexico’s Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez reclaimed the WBC super-middleweight title with a unanimous-decision victory over the previously unbeaten Christian Mbilli in Riyadh on Saturday night.The fight went ahead at Kingdom Arena despite a week of heightened security concerns in the Saudi capital, where the Saudi-led coalition said it had intercepted missiles and drones launched by Iran-aligned Houthi forces. Several events in the kingdom were cancelled or postponed, including the Six Kings Slam tennis exhibition.Álvarez, 36, fighting for the first time in more than a year, relied on his trademark counter-punching and precise body shots to overcome the aggressive French champion and re-establish himself among boxing’s elite.The judges scored the contest 115-112, 116-111 and 117-110 in favor of the Mexican. (The Guardian had it 117-110.)“It’s something unbelievable.

It feels like my first title. Now, after 21 years as a professional, 16 years ago I won my first title.

Now I won that title again. I’m so proud of my team,” ‌Canelo said in English.“I love boxing.

That’s why I’m here, because I still love boxing and I enjoy it a lot.”Mbilli, who entered the fight with a record of 29 wins and one draw, sought to unsettle Álvarez with relentless pressure and a higher volume of punches. But the challenger landed the cleaner blows, including a sharp uppercut that staggered Mbilli in the seventh round.Álvarez evades a right hand from Mbilli during Saturday’s fight.

Photograph: Fayez Nureldine/AFP/Getty ImagesThe victory marked a significant comeback for Álvarez, who suffered only the third defeat of his professional career when Terence Crawford outpointed him by unanimous decision in September 2025.That loss cost Álvarez his undisputed super-middleweight crown, ending his reign as holder of the division’s four major titles.The contest took place three weeks after a missile strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh killed at least 12 people and wounded more than 300. A second projectile struck a passenger terminal the following day, according to the Saudi-led military coalition, while several international airlines suspended flights to the kingdom amid the mounting threat to civilian aviation.Turki al-Sheikh, the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority and one of boxing’s most influential power brokers, said earlier this month that Álvarez had personally assured him he would go ahead with the fight regardless of the security situation. “Canelo reached out and told me he’ll still fight in Riyadh this October, no matter what happens,” Al-Sheikh wrote on social media. “He fears nothing.”Álvarez celebrates after Saturday’s win in Riyadh.

Photograph: Fayez Nureldine/AFP/Getty ImagesThe escalation threatened Saudi Arabia’s ambitions to establish itself as a global destination for major sporting events. The kingdom has become a dominant force in professional boxing under Al-Sheikh, using its considerable financial resources to attract some of the sport’s biggest names, even as its expanding sporting footprint has drawn scrutiny over its human rights record and accusations of sportswashing.Álvarez made a brief, apparently oblique reference to the circumstances surrounding the fight during his post-fight remarks, thanking family members who were watching from afar rather than ringside.“I also want to thank my family, who are watching me from afar today for the first time,” he said in Spanish. “My siblings, my parents, my daughters, my son, and my wife – who also couldn’t make it due to certain circumstances.”Álvarez did not elaborate on those circumstances or explicitly link their absence to the security situation.Mbilli, 31, had been elevated to full WBC champion following Crawford’s departure from the division, having previously held the interim title.The Cameroon-born boxer fought to a split draw against Lester Martínez on the undercard of the Álvarez-Crawford showdown, ending a run of 29 consecutive professional victories.Saturday’s result improved Álvarez’s record to 64 wins, three defeats and two draws and handed Mbilli the first loss of his professional career.