By Sohaib Shams
Canelo Alvarez returns to the ring on Saturday to challenge Christian Mbilli for the WBC super-middleweight title at the ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The bout marks Alvarez's first fight in 13 months following a decision loss to Terence Crawford in Las Vegas.
Fight schedule
The main card begins at 4 pm GMT (9 am PT, 11 am CT, 12 pm ET) with the main-event ring walks expected at 8.30 pm GMT (1.30 pm PT, 3.30 pm CT, 4.30 pm ET).
How to watch
The event streams exclusively on DAZN pay-per-view for £24.99 in the UK and $79.99 in the US, and is also available to DAZN Ultimate Tier subscribers at £24.99 per month.
Security concerns
Recent deadly attacks on Riyadh’s airports by Yemen-aligned Houthis have raised questions about the event proceeding. Saudi authorities report over 300 injured and at least 21 dead. The U.S. State Department has urged citizens to reconsider travel. Despite this, Saudi adviser Turki Alalshikh has promoted the fight, and Alvarez arrived in Riyadh on Monday stating he is excited to compete. One undercard bout between Lindolfo Delgado and Arthur Biyarslanov may be cancelled, and broadcaster DAZN may present from a London studio.
Full fight card
Subject to change; ‘C’ denotes champion:
Christian Mbilli (C) vs Canelo Alvarez – vacant WBC super-middleweight title
Jaime Munguia vs Nikita Zon – super-middleweight
Rafael Espinoza (C) vs Ricardo Blandon – WBO featherweight title
David Picasso vs Carl Jammes Martin – featherweight
Reito Tsutsumi vs Raymundo Rojas Garcia – super-featherweight
Bek Nurmaganbet vs Marcos Vazquez Rodriguez – super-middleweight
Brayan Leon vs Hector Aguirre – super-middleweight
Emiliano Rojo vs Flavius Biea – middleweight
Sultan Almohammed vs Erick Jahir Urvina Villegas – super-featherweight
Betting odds
Alvarez is the favourite at 4/11, Mbilli at 9/4, and a draw at 14/1, according to Betway.
