Canelo Alvarez attempts to recapture the WBC super-middleweight title against Christian Mbilli on Saturday, and esteemed fight analyst and commentator Teddy Atlas has provided his verdict for the contest.
Both Canelo and Mbilli will enter the bout off the back of a 13-month inactive spell, with each man’s last fight coming in September 2025, when Canelo lost his undisputed title to Terence Crawford and Mbilli appeared on the undercard.
Since then, Crawford’s retirement has seen Mbilli elevated to WBC super-middleweight champion, whilst Alvarez’s elbow injury has prevented him from challenging for world honours until now.
Discussing the clash, on ‘The Fight’, Atlas believes that Canelo must hurt Mbilli early to have the best chance of reclaiming his old belt, comparing the French-Cameroonian champion to heavyweight legend Joe Frazier.
“I think that Canelo can hurt him early. He has to hurt him early. I think that the reason they took this fight is because I don’t think they are thinking about winning a decision, I think that they are thinking about, ‘We have got to knock this guy out and we have got a chance to do it.’
“That is my breakdown. If you don’t do it, this guy is Smokin’ Joe Frazier at a lighter weight than Joe Frazier was, at heavyweight, but of course Joe Frazier punched harder.”
Atlas continued by saying Mbilli may be able to wear Canelo down and secure an iconic stoppage win during the latter stages of the affair.
“I think that he [Mbilli] could break him [Canelo] down late in the fight with body attack, mixing in the mix, Canelo is 36 years old and almost 70 fights. I think that there is a possibility that he could just start to wear him down and win in that way. It doesn’t have to be with one punch or anything like that.
“With Mbilli, in there with an older guy, it has always been about an accumulation of punches.”
Canelo vs Mbilli takes place on Saturday, as Alvarez attempts to announce himself as the man to beat at 168lbs once again.
