Canelo Alvarez is not taking a soft comeback fight against Christian Mbilli, says trainer Manny Robles, who believes the undefeated contender will give the Mexican star serious trouble in September.
Robles gave his thoughts on the September 12 fight this week in Egypt, where he warned that WBC super middleweight champion Mbilli would present a tough test for Canelo after a year out of the ring.
“Canelo doesn’t take an easy fight, does he? And Mbilli is no pushover. Yes. Yes. And Mbilli is a very very good fighter. Tough, come forward. I believe Canelo is going to have his hands full for sure. But Canelo’s Canelo. You know, definitely one of the best fighters in the world,” Robles told Ring Magazine.
Robles stopped short of picking a winner, but his comments echo concerns some fans have already raised about Canelo’s return against an aggressive pressure fighter after spending a year out of the ring following his loss to Terence Crawford last September.
Mbilli (29-0-1, 24 KOs) has built his reputation on consistent pressure, heavy volume punching and physical strength at 168 pounds. The undefeated contender has also been publicly pushing for a Canelo fight for more than a year, repeatedly saying he believes the timing is right.
The September fight is expected to be a Riyadh season card in Saudi Arabia. Canelo, 35, will enter the bout looking to avoid a second straight loss after the Crawford loss halted his recent run at the top of the sport.
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Last updated on 2026/05/20 at 22:19
