Canelo’s legendary resume meets Mbilli’s relentless youth on September 12. Can experience overcome Father Time against a nonstop pressure fighter?
Canelo cannot take him lightly.
He is coming off that Bud defeat on points last year at 168 pounds and Alvarez has not appeared that motivated since.
Some things to be acutely observant of ahead of the contest;
- Canelo is 35 (or 36 on fight night) and coming off elbow surgery
- Mbilli is 31 with a 29-0-1 record (24 KOs)—five years younger
- Mbilli throws nonstop combinations for entire fights, not just in bursts
- Canelo traditionally handles pressure fighters—but that was a decade ago at 160lbs
- Recent fights show sustained pressure pushes Canelo toward the ropes, not center ring
- Mbilli declared: “I’m not Berlanga. I’m not Munguia”
- Jose Benavidez Sr said Canelo’s “era is done—reflexes, speed, power, legs are not there”
- Mbilli doesn’t get discouraged by counters—keeps forcing exchanges
- Canelo’s response: “If I was 50 years old, you still cannot beat me”
- Mbilli’s only career “blemish” is a 10-round draw with Lester Martinez
At the end of the day, Mbilli of France is a big underdog against Mexican boxing star Canelo but that is not everything.
Saul Alvarez has been out of the ring a bit at this point since the Bud defeat in Vegas last year in their huge bout.
Motivation is going to be asked of Saul Canelo Alvarez and then some in his training and on fight night.
If he is not on the ball Canelo can slip here, no doubt about it.
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