Canelo Alvarez says he will fight Christian Mbilli in Riyadh no matter what after deadly airport attacks

Canelo Alvarez is not backing away from his next fight. The Mexican star has told organizers he will face WBC super middleweight champion Christian Mbilli in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Oct. 31 no matter what happens.

A promise after a violent weekend

The pledge came after a string of attacks on King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital. A strike on Saturday killed 13 people and injured more than 300, the deadliest attack on the country in more than a decade. Another projectile hit the airport on Sunday, killing one person and injuring 11.

Yemen's Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for earlier strikes on Saudi airports. The Riyadh airport was closed over the weekend and is not expected to reopen before Oct. 17.

Saudi entertainment chief Turki Alalshikh shared the news on social media. "Canelo reached out and told me he'll still fight in Riyadh this October, no matter what happens," he wrote. "He fears nothing."

What is at stake

Alvarez, 63-3-2 with 39 knockouts, is a former two-time undisputed champion at 168 pounds. He has not fought since he lost his titles to Terence Crawford in September 2025. He has been training in Spain for this camp.

Mbilli is unbeaten at 29-0 with 24 knockouts and holds the WBC belt Alvarez wants back. The fight headlines a pay-per-view card billed as Mexico vs. the Rest of the World at The Venue in Riyadh.

Both fighters and the rest of the card are expected to travel to Saudi Arabia in the next week or so. For now the event is going ahead as planned.