That’s all for tonight. Thanks for following along with us and be sure to check out the final report here.

Related: Canelo Álvarez wins back world title as Houthi attacks cast shadow over Riyadh

Álvarez, in a brief Spanish-language detour, references to the security situation in Saudi Arabia following the recent Houthi attacks, which have cast a shadow over tonight’s event in Riyadh.

También quiero agradecerle a mi familia, que me está viendo desde lejos hoy por primera vez. Muchas gracias a todos: a mis hermanos, a mis papás, a mis hijas, a mi hijo, a mi esposa, que no pudo venir tampoco por circunstancias. Pero muchas gracias. Los amo mucho.

I also want to thank my family, who are watching me from afar today for the first time. Thank you all so much: my siblings, my parents, my daughters, my son, and my wife – who also couldn’t make it due to certain circumstances. But thank you all so much. I love you very much.

Álvarez did not elaborate on the circumstances, but his remarks offered a rare acknowledgment of the extraordinary backdrop to a fight that went ahead despite deadly attacks on the Saudi capital in recent weeks.

Canelo: ‘It feels like my first title’

For a fighter who has spent most of his adult life stacking championship belts across four weight classes, the experience of going without one appears to have weighed heavily on Canelo Álvarez. The 36-year-old Mexican was visibly emotional after reclaiming the WBC super-middleweight title, struggling to put into words what the moment meant to him.

“Oh, it’s so difficult to explain. It’s so difficult to explain,” Álvarez said in his rapidly improving English, surrounded by members of his team. “It’s something unbelievable. It feels like my first title. Now, after 20, 21 years as a professional – 16 years ago, I won my first title. Now I won the title again.”

Álvarez, who lost his undisputed championship to Terence Crawford 13 months ago in Las Vegas, had entered Saturday’s contest as a challenger for the first time since 2022. His performance suggested a fighter with something to prove, particularly over the second half of the contest, when his crisp counterpunching and deft footwork increasingly frustrated the younger champion.

“I’m so proud, so proud of my team,” Álvarez said. “Eddy Reynoso, Chepo Reynoso, who made me who I am, who made me the champion I am. Thank you so much for everything, Eddy. Thank you so much.”

Álvarez also thanked his family back home, with the interviewer relaying a joke that his wife had warned him not to return without the championship belt.

“I won that title!” Álvarez replied.

Asked whether he would have done anything differently over the 12 rounds, the newly crowned champion offered a characteristically succinct assessment.

“No. I did perfectly.”

Updated

Álvarez wins WBC 168lb title by UD 12

No surprises here. Canelo Álvarez has won a 12-round decision over Christian Mbilli to capture the WBC super-middleweight title. The official scores were 115-112, 116-111 and 117-110. (The Guardian had it 117-110).

Round 12

Mbilli surely needs a knockout to retain his title, yet the urgency is nowhere to be seen. Álvarez is practically inviting the champion to come forward, but the Frenchman remains oddly hesitant to engage. It’s a baffling finish from a fighter whose reputation was built on relentless pressure. Álvarez will be a three-time super-middleweight champion as soon as these scores are tallied ...

Guardian’s unofficial score: Álvarez 10-9 Mbilli (Álvarez 117-110 Mbilli)

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Round 11

More of the same. Álvarez in total control. Says Stephen “Breadman” Edwards, the respected Philadelphia-based boxing trainer: “Mbilli is lucky this is not the Canelo of 2018-21. He would’ve been stopped already. Mbilli is not performing well [in my opinion]. He’s outthinking himself.”

Guardian’s unofficial score: Álvarez 10-9 Mbilli (Álvarez 107-101 Mbilli)

Round 10

Another assured round from Álvarez, whose jab is sharp, his counters precise and his movement economical, stepping out of range whenever Mbilli tries to mount an attack. It’s a masterclass in ring generalship from the wily vet, who appears to have his French foe completely figured out. Canelo enters the championship rounds with an yawning advantage on our card.

Guardian’s unofficial score: Álvarez 10-9 Mbilli (Álvarez 97-92 Mbilli)

Round 9

Mbilli is playing straight into Álvarez’s hands. The relentless pressure and workrate has all but vanished, allowing the 36-year-old Mexican to fight at his own pace. He’s stacking rounds now and it’s hard to see how the Frenchman can turn it around.

Guardian’s unofficial score: Álvarez 10-9 Mbilli (Álvarez 87-83 Mbilli)

Round 8

A spot of controversy in the eighth as Mbilli is docked a point for punching behind the head following complaints from Álvarez, who appears to have the referee’s ear. The Mexican is then granted another timeout, further disrupting the champion’s rhythm. Mbilli needs to become more assertive, but Hector Afu’s officiating is now bound to become a talking point in a fight that remains very much in the balance.

Guardian’s unofficial score: Álvarez 10-8 Mbilli (Álvarez 77-74 Mbilli)

Round 7

Here comes Canelo. The Mexican produces his best round of the fight, looking increasingly comfortable as his heavier, more eye-catching counters begin to take their toll. A crisp combination off the ropes, punctuated by a flush right uppercut that rocks Mbilli, leaves no doubt.

Guardian’s unofficial score: Álvarez 10-9 Mbilli (Álvarez 67-66 Mbilli)

Round 6

Álvarez is boxing beautifully off the back foot now. An excellent round for the Mexican and the easiest of the fight to score.

Guardian’s unofficial score: Álvarez 10-9 Mbilli (Álvarez 57-57 Mbilli)

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Round 5

Mbilli takes the initiative, putting together combinations and keeping Álvarez occupied with a steady stream of punches. Both men find openings to the midsection, but neither has really shifted into top gear. It’s a tactical, closely contested fight so far, with the Frenchman’s greater activity giving him the edge on our card.

Guardian’s unofficial score: Álvarez 9-10 Mbilli (Álvarez 47-48 Mbilli)

Round 4

Another competitive round with Mbilli increasing his output and doing some good work to the body while Álvarez grows a little too comfortable on the defensive. Canelo is slipping punches and looking to land the occasional big counter, but he’s not throwing enough. Mbilli finishes strongly, his speed and volume beginning to pose serious questions for the Mexican. Álvarez shades it on our card, but the champion is making him work for everything.

Guardian’s unofficial score: Álvarez 10-9 Mbilli (Álvarez 38-38 Mbilli)

Updated

Round 3

Mbilli is finding his rhythm now, ripping off combinations and using his superior workrate to back Álvarez against the ropes. Canelo is showing his age at times, but his lead hand looks as sharp as it has in years and his footwork remains crisp as he repeatedly pirouettes out of danger. It’s an intriguing contrast in styles: Mbilli has the advantage in volume, while Álvarez is landing the cleaner, more accurate punches and doing his best to dictate the pace. Another close round.

Guardian’s unofficial score: Álvarez 9-10 Mbilli (Álvarez 28-29 Mbilli)

Round 2

Mbilli is throwing and landing more and appears to have found his footing after a slow start. Álvarez is mostly picking his spots and pot-shotting. This one could have gone either way but it says here the champion nicked it.

Guardian’s unofficial score: Álvarez 9-10 Mbilli (Álvarez 19-19 Mbilli)

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Round 1

Álvarez holds his ground in the center of the ring early before circling Mbilli, looking the sharper and more composed fighter. The Mexican puts together a couple of crisp combinations, including a thudding left hook, while Mbilli is slow to get going. The Frenchman finally begins letting his hands go in the final 30 seconds, but he’ll need to increase his volume to trouble Canelo. CompuBox has Álvarez landing 10 of 24 punches to Mbilli’s seven of 43. A clear opening round for the challenger.

Guardian’s unofficial score: Álvarez 10-9 Mbilli (Álvarez 10-9 Mbilli)

The waiting is over. The final instructions have been given by referee Hector Afu, the seconds are out and we’ll pick it up with round-by-round coverage from here!

Here come the fighters. First it’s Mbilli, entering first despite his status as the champion, wearing a black tee and red trunks. And now after an extended video introduction it’s time for Canelo. It’s a muted, pyrotechnic-free ringwalk by his theatrical standards as he enters surrounded by his team and the recording artist Tito Double P.

Updated

Anthem time at Kingdom Arena. First the national anthem of Saudi Arabia, in honor of our hosts. Then La Marseillaise, for Mbilli. Then Himno Nacional Mexicano, for Canelo. The fighters should be making their entrances any moment now.

Munguía, speaking through a translator, is candid about his struggles in the sixth round, admitting he got carried away after hurting Zon and left himself exposed.

Pues la verdad que me agarró, o sea, me agarró tirando golpes, lo agarré y me fui con todo. Entonces descuide descuidé y fue cuando me agarró este. Pues digo, es parte del trabajo, pero hay que aprender. Y hay que, pues, aprender a no descuidarnos.

Well, honestly, he caught me. I mean, he caught me while I was throwing punches. I caught him too, and I went all out. So I let my guard down, and that’s when he caught me. Like I said, it’s part of the job, but you have to learn from it. You have to learn not to let your guard down.

The Mexican gave himself a six or seven out of 10 for his performance.

No la la verdad que me siento muy bien. Muy contento. Honrado. Este contento para el trabajo. El desempeño este. Yo creo que digo se me complicó ahí un poquito en rival. Pero la verdad que me me siento muy bien. Casi ellos pudimos sacar el trabajo. Y yo creo que es parte del aprendizaje. Y hay que seguir trabajando mucho.

Honestly, I feel really good. Very happy. Honored. I’m pleased with the work – with the performance. Things got a bit complicated with the opponent, but, truly, I feel very good. We managed to get the job done, and I think it’s all part of the learning process. We just have to keep working hard.

Munguía retains WBA 168lb title by UD 12

Munguía has retained his WBA super-middleweight title by a 12-round unanimous decision. The three judges at ringside handed down scores of 116-112 and 117-111 (twice).

The 30-year-old Mexican entered the ring as roughly an 18-1 favorite with the bookmakers. Zon nearly made a mockery of those odds, coming within a whisker of stopping the Mexican champion in an extraordinary sixth round, but Munguía was dominant throughout the second half of the contest to wrap up a close but uncontroversial win.

Updated

We may have just witnessed the round of the year in Riyadh. Nikita Zon had Jaime Munguía on the brink of defeat in a white-knuckle sixth, rocking the Mexican champion with a barrage of punches that left him barely able to stay upright. But Munguía somehow weathered the storm and came roaring back, hurting a punched-out Zon in the closing stages as the two traded hellfire in a remarkable display of courage and violence.

There was controversy, too, when referee Tony Weeks stepped between the fighters as Munguía appeared close to being stopped, giving the champion precious seconds to recover. The intervention could prove decisive.

The numbers tell part of the story: Zon landed 28 of 65 punches to Munguía’s 18 of 54, with 43 of their combined 46 connections coming on power shots. An unforgettable three minutes.

Jaime Munguía is (finally) in the ring for the final preliminary bout of the night, defending his World Boxing Association super-middleweight title against unbeaten Russian challenger Nikita Zon.

The 30-year-old Mexican (46-2, 35 KOs) claimed the belt with a unanimous-decision victory over Armando Resendiz in May and now makes his first defense against Zon (12-0-1, 10 KOs), who is fighting outside his native Russia for the first time.

Munguía, who lost to Canelo Álvarez by unanimous decision in May 2024, will be looking to make a statement ahead of his compatriot’s appearance in the main event. The winner could move into position for a 168lb unification fight with whoever emerges victorious between Álvarez and Christian Mbilli later tonight.

Updated

While we wait (and wait, and wait) for the final undercard bout, a few choice quotes from Thursday’s final press conference in Riyadh, where Álvarez and Mbilli struck contrasting notes ahead of tonight’s WBC super-middleweight title fight.

For Álvarez, who is for the first time since 2022 after losing his undisputed championship to Terence Crawford last year, the message was one of unfinished business.

“After 20 years as a professional, I’m glad to be here,” the 36-year-old Mexican said. “I’m the challenger now, but always in my mind, I’m the champion.”

He added: “I don’t believe in shortcuts. I’m going straight for the champion because I already have the experience. I’ve been a champion for many years and I want to be a champion again.”

Mbilli, the unbeaten Cameroon-born Frenchman making his first defense of the full WBC title, was no less confident.

“I’m ready for this fight. I’m ready to shock the world,” the 31-year-old said. “I have a lot of respect for Canelo and I want to congratulate him, but on Saturday it’s going to be a different story. I’m coming for the win.”

Asked about his preparations, Mbilli offered a simple formula: “My training camp was perfect. My mind is ready for this fight. I don’t need to do anything special to win; I only need to be myself.”

What’s happened so far

The undercard is nearing its conclusion as we build towards tonight’s main event between Álvarez and Mbilli, with one preliminary bout remaining before the headliners make their ringwalks. Jaime Munguía is up next to defend his WBA super-middleweight title against Nikita Zon in a scheduled 12-round contest.

In the most recent bout, Rafael Espinoza retained his WBO featherweight title with a third-round TKO of Ricardo Blandon, who was unable to continue after suffering a cut caused by a punch. The unbeaten Mexican improved to 29-0 with 25 knockouts. It should be noted the stoppage felt awfully premature.

Earlier, Japan’s Reito Tsutsumi overwhelmed Raymundo Rojas with a series of heavy left hands to force a second-round stoppage at 2min 27sec, improving his professional record to 6-0.

On the non-televised card, Brayan Leon outpointed Hector Aguirre over eight rounds, while Emiliano Rojo stopped Flavius Biea in the fourth. Bek Nurmaganbet needed less than three minutes to dispatch Marcos Vazquez, dropping him twice before securing a first-round knockout with just three seconds to go.

Before that, Sultan Almohammed earned a unanimous decision over Erick Villegas, while Carl Jammes Martin edged David Picasso by split decision in a closely contested featherweight contest.

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Preamble

Hello and welcome Riyadh’s Kingdom Arena for tonight’s fight between Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez and Christian Mbilli from Riyadh, where one of boxing’s biggest names is attempting to reclaim his place atop the super-middleweight division in circumstances that are anything but ordinary.

For the first time since 2022, Álvarez enters the ring as a challenger. The 36-year-old Mexican superstar, who lost his undisputed championship to Terence Crawford 13 months ago, is seeking to regain the World Boxing Council title against the unbeaten, Cameroon-born Frenchman Mbilli, who has promised to “shock the world” in the biggest fight of his career.

But the backdrop is almost as compelling as the matchup itself. The contest is going ahead despite a wave of drone and missile attacks on Saudi Arabia that have forced the cancellation or postponement of other major events and raised questions about whether the fight could safely take place. After weeks of uncertainty, the fighters are here, the stage is set and the show, remarkably, goes on.

Stay with us for all the buildup, round-by-round coverage and reaction from Riyadh.

Bryan will be here shortly. In the meantime here’s a look at Friday’s weigh-in.