The undercard for Canelo Alvarez vs. Christian Mbilli is official. Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority and President of the Saudi Boxing Federation, announced the full lineup on Thursday for the October 31 Riyadh Season card, which will be broadcast live on DAZN.
The show is billed as “Mexico vs. Rest of the World,” and the name is literal. Canelo leads a group of Mexican fighters against opponents from France, Russia, Venezuela, the Philippines, Canada, Japan and beyond. With three world title fights underneath the main event, the card carries four world championship bouts in all.
Canelo Challenges Mbilli for the WBC Title
Canelo returns a year after his loss to Terence Crawford in Las Vegas, and for the first time in a long time he arrives as the challenger. The former undisputed super middleweight champion made nine successful defenses over almost five years at 168 pounds. Now he tries to take the WBC title from the man who holds it.
Mbilli, the unbeaten French-Cameroonian, is making the first defense of his title. He won the interim WBC belt against Maciej Sulecki in June 2025 and was confirmed as full champion in January. The 31-year-old fought Lester Martinez on the Canelo vs. Crawford undercard, and this is his first time headlining a Riyadh Season event.
Munguia Defends WBA Title Against Zon
WBA super middleweight champion Jaime Munguia (46-2) makes the first defense of his belt against unbeaten Russian Nikita Zon (12-0-1). Munguia won the title in Las Vegas in May with a victory over Armando Resendiz. Zon will be fighting outside his home country for the first time.
Espinoza Meets His Number One Contender
WBO featherweight champion Rafael Espinoza (28-0) defends against Venezuela’s Lorenzo Parra (24-1-1), the top contender in the division. Espinoza, the unbeaten Guadalajara native, has retained his belt four times since dethroning Robeisy Ramirez in December 2023. Parra comes in off a stoppage win over Elijah Pearce.
Delgado and Biyarslanov Fight for Vacant IBF Belt
Two unbeaten junior welterweights meet for the vacant IBF title when Lindolfo Delgado (24-0) faces Arthur Biyarslanov (21-0). Delgado holds the WBO Latino title and is looking to become the newest Mexican world champion. Both men are making their Riyadh Season debuts.
Picasso Returns to Riyadh Against Martin
Mexico City’s David Picasso (32-1-1), the WBC Silver titleholder at super bantamweight, faces unbeaten Filipino Carl Martin (28-0), the WBO’s number one contender at 122 pounds. Picasso is back in Riyadh for the first time since his headline fight with Naoya Inoue last December.
The Rest of the Card
Raymundo Rojas Garcia (16-2) faces Ring Magazine ambassador Reito Tsutsumi (5-0) at super featherweight. Tsutsumi last fought in July on the Joshua vs. Prenga undercard in Jeddah.
Four more bouts round out the night. Marcos Vazquez Rodriguez takes on Bek Nurmaganbet, Carlos Emiliano Rojo Vazquez faces Flavius Biea, Hector Aguirre meets Brayan Leon Salgado, and Erick Jahir Villegas faces Sultan Almohammed.
A Note for Fans Planning to Travel
American fans thinking about making the trip should know that the U.S. State Department currently lists Saudi Arabia at Level 3, “Reconsider travel,” in an advisory last updated September 15. The department cites regional security risks and strict local laws, including laws covering social media activity. Anyone booking a flight should read the full State Department advisory for Saudi Arabia first.
Canelo vs. Mbilli takes place Saturday, October 31 in Riyadh, live on DAZN.
