Who is Christian Mbilli? Get to know the WBC super middleweight champ ahead of Canelo Alvarez showdown

The 31-year-old carries knockout power and his size could pose a problem for Alvarez On Saturday, Christian Mbilli will receive the biggest opportunity of his career when he steps in the ring to defend his WBC super middleweight championship against Saul "Canelo" Alvarez. While Mbilli has yet to taste defeat as a professional, the oddsmakers are favoring Alvarez, who has firmly cemented himself as a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Mbilli was the beneficiary of Alvarez's most recent fight, a loss to Terence Crawford in September 2025. After Crawford's decision to retire following a career-best victory, Mbilli was elevated from interim to full champion. Mbilli won the interim belt two fights ago, knocking out Maciej Sulecki in the first round of their June 2025 meeting.

In his final fight before being elevated to full champion, Mbilli battled to a hard-fought split draw against Lester Martinez. Mbilli is a bruiser with a high-pressure style. He's muscular and strong and that allows him to bully many fighters. Of his 29 career victories, 24 have come via knockout, which speaks to his ability to turn his pressure into finishing power. Mbilli's forward style benefits when he can back opponents toward the ropes. With an opponent trapped, Mbilli will look to throw thudding right hands to the head while also keeping a focus on throwing