RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Canelo Alvarez regained the WBC super-middleweight championship on Saturday night, using precise counterpunching and a strong second-half performance to defeat Christian Mbilli by unanimous decision.
asserted
Alvarez → regain → decision
The judges scored the fight 115-112, 116-111 and 117-110 for Alvarez, who handed Mbilli his first professional defeat.
asserted
who → score → defeat
Alvarez improved to 64-3-2, while Mbilli fell to 29-1-1.
asserted
Mbilli → improve → 29
Returning for the first time since losing his undisputed championship to Terence Crawford in September 2025, the 36-year-old Mexican became a world champion again.
asserted
Mexican → return → September
The victory carried significance beyond the belt.
asserted
victory → carry → belt
Alvarez faced questions about whether his championship years had ended with the Crawford defeat.
asserted
years → face → defeat
Against an unbeaten opponent whose pressure presented a test of his ability to sustain his work, Alvarez put together combinations and found the accuracy to take charge as the fight progressed.
asserted
fight → present → charge
“Oh, it’s so difficult to explain,” Alvarez said.
asserted
Alvarez → ’ → ?
“It’s something unbelievable.”
asserted
It → ’ → ?
Mbilli’s pressure and greater activity made the opening half competitive, particularly as he pushed Alvarez toward the ropes.
asserted
he → make → ropes
Alvarez answered with body punches and counters, then began finding greater success in the sixth with a right uppercut and straight right.
asserted
Alvarez → answer → uppercut
Alvarez increasingly made Mbilli respond to his punches, interrupting the champion’s advances with cleaner shots.
asserted
Mbilli → make → shots
At times, he lowered his hands and beckoned Mbilli forward, inviting exchanges from positions where he could counter.
uncertain
he → lower → positions
An uppercut punctuated Alvarez’s seventh round, and he followed with combinations in the eighth.
asserted
he → punctuate → eighth
Mbilli’s task became more difficult when referee Hector Afu deducted a point for a punch to the back of Alvarez’s head.
asserted
Afu → become → head
Alvarez’s jab helped him control the 10th.
asserted
jab → help → 10th
Mbilli continued working to the body and landed right hands in the final round, but Alvarez finished emphatically, wobbling the champion with a late right.
asserted
Alvarez → continue → right
Alvarez credited trainer Eddy Reynoso’s instructions to move, box and maintain his jab.
asserted
Alvarez → credit → jab
“Do what Canelo do the best.
asserted
Canelo → do → what
And that’s what I did,” Alvarez said.
asserted
Alvarez → ’ → what
Asked whether Mbilli surprised him, Alvarez said he expected a strong opponent but believed he had limited the champion’s offense.
asserted
he → ask → offense
“It’s difficult to throw punches with me,” he said.
asserted
he → ’ → me
The celebration brought an emotional tribute to Eddy Reynoso and Chepo Reynoso, whom Alvarez credited with shaping his career.
asserted
Alvarez → bring → career
Alvarez’s tearful celebration and tight embrace with Eddy Reynoso offered a different image from his composed work inside the ropes.
asserted
celebration → offer → ropes
After 12 rounds spent managing Mbilli’s pressure, he struggled to describe what becoming a champion again meant.
asserted
becoming → spend → what
His thanks quickly shifted from the achievement to the people who helped him reach it.
asserted
him → shift → it
“I’m so proud, so proud of my team,” Alvarez said.
asserted
Alvarez → ’m → team
He also thanked his family watching from afar and joked that his wife, who could not attend, had told him not to return without the championship.
uncertain
who → thank → championship
“I won the title,” he said.
asserted
he → win → title
Alvarez offered no immediate commitment to another opponent.
asserted
Alvarez → offer → opponent
“I’m gonna rest.
asserted
I → go → ?
I’m gonna keep learning.
asserted
I → go → ?
I’m gonna keep working hard,” he said.
asserted
he → go → ?
In the co-main event, Jaime Munguia survived a sixth-round scare to retain his WBA super-middleweight championship against Nikita Zon.
asserted
Munguia → survive → Zon
Munguia won by unanimous decision, with scores of 117-111, 117-111 and 116-112, recovering after Zon hurt him to improve to 47-2.
asserted
Zon → win → 47
Rafael Espinoza retained his WBO featherweight title with a technical knockout of Ricardo Blandon at 1:22 of the third round.
asserted
Espinoza → retain → round
A straight right opened a cut above Blandon’s left eye, and the referee stopped the fight on the ringside physician’s recommendation.
asserted
referee → open → recommendation
Espinoza improved to 29-0 with 25 knockouts.
asserted
Espinoza → improve → knockouts
Reito Tsutsumi scored two second-round knockdowns before stopping Raymundo Rojas Garcia at 2:27.
asserted
Tsutsumi → score → 2:27
Tsutsumi improved to 6-0 with five knockouts.
asserted
Tsutsumi → improve → knockouts
The Aporia
