Canelo vs. Mbilli Could Take an Unexpected Turn: Las Vegas Emerges as an Alternative Amid Doubts About Riyadh
Por Carlos Rodríguez ·
The highly anticipated Canelo Álvarez vs. Christian Mbilli fight is once again causing uncertainty just over a month before its scheduled date. News reports suggest the possibility of moving the fight from Saudi Arabia to the United States, but as of September 22, 2026, there has been no official confirmation of a change in date or venue.
The latest official information confirms that the fight will take place on Saturday, October 31, at the ANB Arena in Riyadh, where Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez will attempt to regain the World Boxing Council (WBC) super middleweight world championship against the undefeated Christian Mbilli.
Las Vegas emerges as a possible alternative
According to the information provided, reports attributed to journalist Elías Quijada and ESPN suggest that the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas could become an alternative.
Saturday, November 21, is a possible date, given the security situation in the Middle East.
However, this scenario should be viewed with caution.
Neither the WBC nor the organizers have officially announced that the fight will be moved to the United States.
In fact, on September 15, the WBC posted an update about the fight and continued to promote it for Halloween, October 31, in Riyadh.
This is particularly relevant for Hispanic fans in the United States who might be considering a trip to Las Vegas:
As of now, there is no officially announced Canelo-Mbilli fight scheduled for November 21 at T-Mobile Arena (Filed under: Canelo Álvarez: Fight May Be Moved to a Different Venue).
Canelo Aims to Reclaim the Super-Middleweight Title
What is certain, however, is what’s at stake.
Canelo will challenge Christian Mbilli for the WBC super middleweight world championship.
This came after he lost his undisputed 168-pound title to Terence Crawford in September 2025.
Mbilli enters the fight undefeated with a record of 29-0-1 and 24 knockouts, while Álvarez has a professional record of 63-3-2, with 39 wins by knockout.
The Frenchman of Cameroonian descent was promoted from interim champion to undisputed WBC champion and will make his first title defense against the Mexican.
The fight was originally scheduled for September 12, but it was postponed after personal and family matters delayed the start of Canelo’s training camp.
The Mexican fighter himself later confirmed the new date of October 31 (Filed under: Canelo Álvarez: Fight Venue May Change).
[pullquote quote=”Las Vegas emerges as a possible alternative” cite=”NuevaOnda.com”]
The fight card is starting to take shape
While rumors of a possible move persist, the event continues to take shape.
One of the fights reported for the card is the title defense by Mexican Rafael “Divino” Espinoza, the WBO featherweight world champion, against Venezuelan Lorenzo Parra.
Jaime Munguía’s participation has also been mentioned.
Although the full details of the event have not yet been officially announced (Filed as: Canelo Álvarez: Fight Could Change Venue).
For more information, visit NuevaOnda.com