Tickets are on sale for the WBC super middleweight title fight between champion Christian Mbilli (29-0-1, 24 KOs) and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (63-3-2, 39 KOs), scheduled for Saturday, October 31, at The Venue in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority, made the announcement Tuesday. The card runs under the “Mexico vs. The World” banner as part of Riyadh Season and will air on DAZN pay-per-view.

Tickets are available through webook, Riyadh Season’s official ticketing platform.

The announcement locks in a date the fight has been chasing since the summer. The bout was originally set for September 12 in Riyadh, then pushed back to late October after a family matter delayed the start of Alvarez’s training camp. Alvarez himself gave the October 31 date on The Ariel Helwani Show in July, and the WBC confirmed it shortly after, but Tuesday marked the first time the promotion put the date, the venue and tickets together in one official release.

Alalshikh promoted the sale on his X account, writing: “Mexico vs The World. Canelo Alvarez takes on Christian Mbilli, with a stacked lineup of boxing stars joining them at Riyadh Season. October 31. Main fight starts at 3 AM. Book now,” according to ClaroSports. The 3 a.m. local start would place the main event in the early evening on the U.S. East Coast.

As of Tuesday, the main event is the only bout officially attached to the card. Boxing News reported that tickets went on general sale with no undercard bouts formally confirmed, and that the remaining Mexican fighters expected on the “Mexico vs. The World” bill have only been mentioned in reports so far. WBO featherweight champion Rafael Espinoza has been reported as a likely addition, with ESPN KnockOut’s Fernando Barbosa first reporting a planned defense against mandatory challenger Lorenzo Parra.

The title on the line belongs to Mbilli, who won the WBC interim belt with a first-round knockout of Maciej Sulecki in June 2025 and was elevated to full champion on January 27 after Terence Crawford vacated following his retirement. Mbilli’s last outing was a 10-round split draw with Lester Martinez on the undercard of Canelo vs. Crawford at Allegiant Stadium on September 13, 2025, a fight scored 96-94 Mbilli, 97-93 Martinez and 95-95. The WBC ordered a rematch, which never took place. Martinez has since won the interim title.

Alvarez has not fought since losing his undisputed super middleweight championship to Crawford by unanimous decision that same night. He will enter the ring as the challenger. Alvarez is 36; Mbilli is 31.

Both fighters spoke when the bout was first announced in May at a press conference at the Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo. “After so many years in this sport, my motivation is still the same: to challenge myself, represent Mexico, and continue building my legacy,” Alvarez said, according to the Saudi Press Agency. “Mbilli is undefeated and a great fighter, and I respect that.”

Mbilli’s statement from the same announcement, carried by Arab News, read: “My last fight was the fight of the year. In September, against Canelo Alvarez, it will be the fight of the decade. And when the fight is over, the world will witness a historic victory for me.”

At the Cairo face-off, Mbilli told Alvarez, “You’re going to be surprised in September. I’m not (Edgar) Berlanga. I’m not (Jaime) Munguia,” as reported by NY Fights. He added: “Canelo Álvarez is the greatest test of my life, a life of effort, perseverance, and hard work that has prepared me for this moment.” BoxingInsider covered the original September 12 announcement, which Alalshikh made from London.

The two met again for DAZN’s Face Off program in September. “He’s old now, but he’s still very dangerous,” Mbilli told Alvarez, as reported by The Ring. “He has very good power and a very good counter punch. I think it’s the best timing for me to have this fight.” Mbilli continued: “His power is going down a little bit, but he’s still dangerous. Five years ago, he was at a different level. But now he’s a little bit down, I think. But he’s still very, very dangerous.” He also said, “I’m the champ, but for me, he’s still the number one.”

Alvarez rejected the assessment. “Not even if I was 50 years old, he can’t beat me in this life. You’d need like ten of you to beat me,” Alvarez said during the DAZN program, as reported by La Opinión.

When the September date was pushed, Mbilli’s promoter, Camille Estephan of Eye of the Tiger Management, said: “Whether it’s in September or October, Christian Mbilli will leave the ring victorious. And now more than ever, Canelo will have absolutely no excuse for not being fully prepared.” Mbilli, in the same statement, said, “My time will come.”

The ticket announcement also followed a week of questions over drug testing. BoxingScene reported Monday that Saudi event company Sela had not yet paid the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association to begin bout-specific testing. Canelo adviser Richard Schaefer told the outlet, “Canelo’s ready, willing, and able to test … and my understanding is Sela’s in touch with [VADA].” On Tuesday, BoxingScene reported that both fighters are now enrolled under VADA’s title-fight protocol, citing two officials familiar with the agreements. Mbilli is also enrolled in the WBC Clean Boxing Program and has never returned an adverse finding.

The fight was initially met with mixed reaction across the sport when it was first reported in May, with Estephan posting “We got business” on social media and David Benavidez, among others, questioning the choice of opponent. Bob Arum, whose Top Rank has co-promoted Mbilli, said at the time: “I think it’s the end of the road for Canelo. Mbilli is a hell of a fighter. Very tenacious, very confident, and I’m looking for him to beat Canelo.”

Per Tuesday’s release, Alvarez has 68 professional bouts with 63 wins, 39 by knockout, three losses and two draws. Mbilli has 30 bouts with 29 wins, 24 by knockout, and one draw. Neither has been stopped.