Christian Mbilli has promised to take the fight to Canelo Alvarez when the pair meet in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday, insisting that his intention is to break the Mexican rather than attempt to outbox him.
The unbeaten WBC super middleweight champion (29-0-1, 24 KOs) faces Alvarez (63-3-2, 39 KOs) at the Kingdom Arena, with the former undisputed champion returning to action for the first time since his unanimous decision defeat to Terence Crawford in September 2025.
Speaking to Uncrowned via Yahoo, Mbilli made clear that he has little interest in following the approach employed by Crawford in his victory over Alvarez.
“For me, the plan was always to never to outbox Canelo, it’s to break Canelo. So, the result might be the same, but I’d say the process will be a lot different,” Mbilli said.
“For me, it’s fire for fire. And that’s also why I’ve said many times that I wasn’t [Jaime] Munguia, [Edgar] Berlanga or even [Jermell] Charlo, because when they got hurt, they got on their bike and they were just happy to survive for the rest of the fight.
“I’m not built like that. I fought through the fire before, my life and career speak for it, and when the temperature gets high I never shy from the heat.”
The 31-year-old also suggested that Alvarez, who has not recorded a stoppage victory in several years, is no longer the fighter he once was.
“I think it’s very visible that [Alvarez] has lost a step,” Mbilli said. “And I’m saying that very respectfully, because he’s still a great fighter. But the body of work speaks for itself.”
Mbilli, who was elevated to full WBC champion in January, believes a victory could establish him as boxing’s leading attraction, particularly following Crawford’s retirement.
“It’s like the oldest saying in boxing, that ‘to be the man, you have to beat the man,’” he said. “Plus, with [Terence] Crawford retiring, even if I’m the one that got the belt, Canelo still has the name.”
And despite acknowledging Alvarez’s considerable experience, Mbilli is confident that his aggressive approach will present the Mexican with a different challenge.
“Canelo has been outboxed, most recently by Crawford, but I think he hasn’t been in a firefight for quite some time now. So, everyone with an opinion about my style should tune in, because I can guarantee you this one will be a firefight.”
