If Christian Mbilli is considered fresh meat for Canelo Alvarez, the French boxer sees it very differently. “Solide” has had his sights set on the Mexican superstar for quite some time now, and several defining moments have led to the showdown that will take place on September 12.
March 23, 2023: Christian Mbilli vs. Carlos Gongora
It is undoubtedly a date that will remain etched in Christian’s memory forever.
And in the memory of Quebec boxing fans as well.
On March 23, 2023, Christian Mbilli went to war with Ecuadorian Carlos Gongora.
In what was undoubtedly the Fight of the Night, Mbilli was badly rocked in the eighth round.
He ultimately won by unanimous decision after dominating most of the fight against a very dangerous opponent.
But that eighth round was so memorable that a documentary bearing its name was later released.
In it, the Montreal-based Frenchman publicly declared that he was going to “beat Canelo,” that there would be a rematch, and that he would “beat him again.”
Photo: Vincent Ethier – Christian Mbilli vs Carlos Gongora
His eyes were already fixed on his future opponent.
January 13, 2024: Artur Beterbiev vs. Callum Smith
On a card co-promoted by Eye of the Tiger and Top Rank, Christian Mbilli introduced himself to the boxing world.
At the Videotron Centre in Quebec City, one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, Artur Beterbiev, defended his world titles in the main event.
American broadcaster ESPN was on site, and more than 10,000 fans filled the arena.
In the co-main event, the Frenchman faced Australia’s Rohan Murdock, a fighter renowned for his extraordinary durability.
That is exactly what made the fight so impressive: Christian Mbilli relentlessly hammered his opponent with punches, yet Murdock refused to give in.
The fans witnessed an unforgettable battle.
Despite Murdock’s remarkable toughness, his corner stopped the fight at the end of the sixth round.
Photo: The Sporting News – Artur Beterbiev vs Callum Smith
In front of thousands of fans in attendance and watching on television, Mbilli grabbed the microphone and once again stated that Canelo was the best fighter in the division and that his ultimate goal was to beat him.
That performance also earned him a co-promotional deal with Top Rank, the company led by legendary promoter Bob Arum.
June 27, 2025: Christian Mbilli vs. Maciej Sulecki
After victories over Mark Heffron and the highly respected Sergiy Derevyanchenko, “Solide” found himself competing for the WBC Interim World Championship.
The title had previously been held by David Benavidez, who moved up in weight, abandoning the opportunity to challenge reigning champion Canelo Alvarez.
Mbilli therefore had one clear mission: defeat Sulecki and become the mandatory challenger for the title held by his Mexican rival.
He wasted no time accomplishing it.
Mbilli knocked out the Polish fighter in the very first round to capture the interim title.
Photo: Boxing Scene – Christian Mbilli vs Maciej Sulecki
September 13, 2025: Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford
This historic event, presented by Riyadh Season and Zuffa Boxing, featured two of the most accomplished fighters of the past decade.
Terence Crawford moved up to the super middleweight division (168 pounds) in an attempt to take all of Canelo Alvarez’s world titles.
And he did exactly that. Crawford defeated Canelo by unanimous decision in Las Vegas, becoming the undisputed super middleweight champion.
Earlier on the undercard, Christian Mbilli defended his interim title against Lester Martinez, one of Crawford’s sparring partners.
Staying true to his reputation, Christian once again delivered a war worthy of Fight of the Night honors.
The contest ended in a draw, allowing Christian to retain his title.
Photo: Bleacher Report – Canelo Alvarez vs Terence Crawford
December 3, 2025: Terence Crawford stripped of the WBC title
Shortly after defeating Canelo, Terence Crawford was stripped of his WBC World Championship.
Just weeks later, on December 16, he officially announced his retirement, vacating all of his world titles.
Once the WBC title became vacant, the organization ordered a fight between Christian Mbilli and Hamzah Sheeraz, with the winner set to become the new world champion.
January 27, 2026: “Solide” becomes world champion
After initially ordering the bout against the British contender, the WBC reversed its decision and elevated Christian directly to full world champion status, fulfilling the French boxer’s lifelong dream.
But the work was far from over. Even as world champion, he still wanted to prove to everyone that he could truly defeat Canelo Alvarez.
And he might finally get that opportunity.
Photo: Zuffa Boxing – Christian Mbilli
January 30, 2026: The first face-off between the two fighters
On the eve of the blockbuster fight between Teofimo Lopez and Shakur Stevenson, Christian Mbilli was invited to New York.
During the Ring Awards Gala, “Solide” and Canelo came face-to-face in a staredown that quickly went viral across social media.
The boxing world was asking the same question: Would this fight finally happen?
April 30, 2026: The fight is officially announced
That is when it was revealed that the Eye of the Tiger fighter would finally get his long-awaited opportunity against his longtime rival.
The bout was scheduled for September 2026 in Saudi Arabia.
Christian Mbilli vs. Canelo Alvarez—but under circumstances that nobody could have predicted when the Frenchman first called for the fight.
This time, it would be the red-haired Mexican challenging Mbilli for his world title—not the other way around.
And the champion has made his intentions crystal clear: he worked too hard to earn that belt, and he has no intention of giving it up.
Photo: Boxing News 24/7 – Canelo Alvarez vs Christian Mbilli
