Tim Bradley believes Christian Mbilli’s aggressive style will give Canelo Alvarez exactly the kind of fight he wants when they meet on September 12 in Riyadh.
Canelo is looking to win back a piece of the super middleweight crown after losing his belts to Terence Crawford in 2025. Mbilli was later elevated from interim to full WBC champion after Crawford retired, and now gets the biggest fight of his career against one of boxing’s biggest names.
Bradley expects Mbilli to bring pressure, toughness and action, but he believes that approach will play into Canelo’s strengths. “He’s gonna piece Mbilli’s ass up,” Bradley told FightHype. “I like Mbilli - tough guy, come and bring the pain. It’s gonna be a hell of a fight, but Canelo’s gonna catch and shoot on his ass all night long.”
The Hall of Famer thinks Canelo’s counters will be the difference, especially if Mbilli keeps coming forward. “Uppercuts, hooks… Oh it’s gonna be bad,” Bradley said. “Canelo look like he’s He-Man. He’s gonna look like he’s back.”
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