Canelo Alvarez arrived in Egypt this week looking heavier than usual ahead of the first press conference for his September 12 fight against WBC super middleweight champion Christian Mbilli in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The Mexican star landed in Cairo during fight week for Saturday’s Oleksandr Usyk vs. Rico Verhoeven event at the Pyramids of Giza, which turned into a huge promotional week for DAZN and Turki Alalshikh. Footage posted by Ring Magazine shows Canelo stepping off a private jet wearing a pink tracksuit as he arrives for the promotional events associated with the Mbilli fight.
The appearance drew attention because Canelo is still nearly four months away from facing Mbilli, but the promotional rollout for the fight is already starting during one of the biggest boxing weeks of the year. The timing also gives more visibility to Mbilli, who is set to challenge for Canelo’s WBC super middleweight title in September.
Canelo’s physical appearance quickly became part of the discussion online as fans reacted to him looking thicker than usual while still early in training camp. Fighters often carry extra weight between bouts, but some fans have noted the contrast between Canelo’s current appearance and the sharper condition he usually displays closer to fight week.
It was unclear whether Canelo intentionally came in heavier in the Mbilli fight because of the size difference. Mbilli is obviously a bigger super middleweight than Terence Crawford, who moved up in weight for his fight against Canelo earlier this year.
The first official press conference for the Canelo-Mbilli fight is expected to take place in Egypt before attention turns to Saturday’s heavyweight clash headlined by Usyk defending his WBC title against Verhoeven at the Pyramids.
CANELO IS HERE 🤩
Canelo Alvarez landed in Egypt ahead of Oleksandr Usyk vs Rico Verhoeven and the first press conference for his fight against Christian Mbilli 🇪🇬
Glory in Giza | 23 May | LIVE on DAZN 🥊 pic.twitter.com/RP8nrd1IL7
— Ring Magazine (@ringmagazine) May 21, 2026
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Last updated on 2026/05/21 at 15:41
