jaime munguia targets christian mballi and hamzah sheraz for his next fight in spring 2026 in usa
Mbilli seen as the Forerunner
WBC interim 168-lb champion Mbilli (29-0-1, 23 KOs) is believed to be the more likely of the two for Munguia.
A route to Crawford’s belts
A win over Mbilli would put Jaime in a position to challenge undisputed champion Terence Crawford for his four belts. Even if Crawford ignores Munguia, he will eventually get a shot at the WBC belt once it’s vacated.
It’s doubtful that Bud will defend against Munguia because it’s not a fight that will bring him a big payday. He got a taste of the big money in his win over Canelo Alvarez, and he’s going to be selective about choosing his next opponent.
Munguia will be dangerous for Crawford because he can hit, has a solid chin and unloads pure power that a 38-year-old could have trouble with.
Sheeraz still in the picture
Munguia “have two options” for his next fight via Salvador Sanchez at ESPN knockout.
Former WBO junior middleweight champion Munguia (45-2, 35 KOs) is coming off a 12-round unanimous decision over Bruno Surace in their rematch earlier this year on May 3rd.
Lester Martinez the backup plan
The backup option for Munguia if he doesn’t get Mbilli or Sheeraz is 168-lb contender Lester Martinez. He is coming off a 12-round draw against Mbilli on the Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford meeting on September 12.
Mbilli (30) is already in a position to challenge Crawford for his belts, but he is not going to be seriously considered either. Too talented for his own game, he brings many of the same offensive weapons as Munguia to a fight against Terence. These are real super middleweights, not pumped up people.
Mbilli vs. Munguia will be an extremely entertaining matchup, similar to Mbilli’s matchup against Lester Martinez. The difference is that Munguia will not use the same push-off strategy to neutralize Mbilli’s offense that Lester did.
Martinez was pretty blatant with the pushing he did against Christian, and got away with murder, thanks to referee Allen Huggins’ laissez-faire, hands-off approach to controlling the offense. Munguia would not choose to cheat. He would fight Mbilli, and it would come down to which of them was the tougher.
Since 2013, James_theGrad has been breaking down boxing’s biggest stories with a mix of sharp analysis, historical insight, and ringside reporting for fans worldwide.
Last updated on 17/10/2025
