Canelo vs Mbilli Undercard Loaded With Three Title Fights in Riyadh
Three world title fights join Canelo Alvarez vs. Christian Mbilli on a stacked October 31 card in Riyadh.
The undercard for Canelo Alvarez's return to the ring on October 31 in Riyadh has finally been locked in, and the Mexico vs. The World themed card is loaded with championship action.
Alvarez (63-3-2) challenges WBC super middleweight champion Christian Mbilli (29-0-1) in the main event on DAZN. Mbilli was elevated to full champion after Terence Crawford relinquished the belt, and this will be his first title defense. For Canelo, it marks his first fight since losing his undisputed super middleweight crown to Crawford and rehabbing an elbow injury that kept him sidelined.
Three additional title fights round out the card. Jaime Munguia will defend his WBA super middleweight title against Nikita Zon (12-0-1), the WBA's ninth-ranked contender. Munguia's mandatory challenger Bektemir Melikuziev reportedly rejected step-aside money, per Boxing News 24, and it remains unclear whether the WBA approved the Zon fight as a voluntary defense.
Rafael Espinoza puts his WBO featherweight title on the line against Venezuela's Lorenzo Parra, the WBO's top-ranked contender who stopped Elijah Pierce inside two rounds back in February. Espinoza has won four consecutive title defenses by knockout since linking up with trainer Eddy Reynoso.
The vacant IBF super lightweight title is also up for grabs as Mexico's Lindolfo Delgado faces Canada's Arthur Biyarslanov, with David Picasso vs. Carl Martin filling out the bill. ESPN's Mike Coppinger called the undercard "stacked," noting Team Mexico enters with a combined 264-11 record against Team World's 176-4.
This is a proper Canelo card, not a showcase with three mismatches underneath. Espinoza has been on a tear and Delgado vs. Biyarslanov is a real fight at 140. The Munguia situation is the one that smells funny, though. Melikuziev earned that mandatory shot and got offered step-aside money instead of a fight. That is boxing politics at its worst, and the WBA deserves heat for letting it slide.
Still, the overall card delivers. Mbilli is no pushover. The man has never lost and he is fighting in front of a crowd that has adopted him. Canelo at 36, coming off a loss to Crawford and a long layoff, trying to reclaim relevance at 168: this is not a layup. If you are betting this card, the title fights underneath might offer more value than the main event.
