Canelo Alvarez and Christian Mbilli have reportedly signed a deal to face each other in September.
It marks Alvarez’s first outing since dropping his undisputed super middleweight titles to Terence Crawford last September.
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Canelo has been out of action since his defeat to Crawford last SeptemberCredit: Getty
He now has to chance pick up one of his old belts against Mbilli, who was elevated from interim to full WBC champion earlier this year after Crawford was stripped of the green and gold strap.
According to Ring Magazine, the pair will headline a ‘Mexico vs the World’ event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
While the report did not explicitly mention a date, it is understood that the bout is being lined up for September 12, to commemorate Mexican Independence Day weekend.
Alvarez skipped his usual Cinco De Mayo date in May to undergo surgery on his left elbow.
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After completing his rehabilitation, he is now ready to lock horns with Mbilli, whose last fight fell on the Alvarez vs Crawford undercard.
Mbilli (29-0-1, 24 KOs) was held to a split draw by Lester Martinez at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium in an enthralling defence of his interim belt.
He captured the secondary title by blowing away Poland’s Maciej Sulecki in one round last June.
His promotion to full WBC champion came in January after the sanctioning body first sought to make a vacant world title fight between Mbilli and Hamzah Sheeraz.
The Brit opted to go down the WBO route with Alem Begic, and so Mbilli was upgraded.
Alvarez (63-3-2, 39 KOs) boxed in Riyadh last May when he defeated William Scull via a tedious unanimous decision to once again become undisputed champion at 168lbs.
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Mbilli was held to a draw by Martinez last time outCredit: Getty
Four months later, he was outpointed by Crawford, who jumped up two weight classes to dethrone Alvarez in a boxing masterclass.
Many expected Alvarez to hang up his gloves after the defeat, but he is now out to prove he still has plenty of miles left on the clock despite his body seemingly giving up on him last time out.
Reflecting on his defeat to Crawford during an interview with Ring Magazine, Alvarez said: “My body didn’t respond the way I really wanted.
“I wanted to move faster. I didn’t recuperate my weight like I needed.
“So, I felt a little bit tired, and my legs felt a little bit tired, too.
“I did well, even if my body didn’t really feel like I wanted. I tried, but my body didn’t respond.
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“I had cramps in my legs, so it doesn’t respond the way I want.”
Boxing schedule
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