By Mohammed Benmansour
RIYADH, Oct 26 (Reuters) – Mexican boxer Saul “Canelo” Alvarez arrived in Riyadh early on Monday and said he is rested and ready for his upcoming fight against WBC super middleweight champion Christian M’billi.
The bout is going ahead on Saturday even as other sporting events in Saudi Arabia have been cancelled or postponed over security concerns.
Fighting between a Saudi-led coalition and Iran-aligned Houthi forces in Yemen has intensified in recent weeks. The Houthis have repeatedly attacked Saudi airports, including Riyadh’s main airport.
Alvarez, a former two-time undisputed super middleweight champion, has not fought since losing to Terence Crawford in September 2025.
“I feel great. I can’t wait to step in the ring,” Alvarez told Reuters.
“I think my body needed that kind of rest, and now I feel like it has been 10 years without fighting so I just can’t wait to step in the ring.”
The 36-year-old, who was given a warm welcome by fans as he arrived at his hotel, said the fight took on even more significance with a title on the line.
“Step in the ring with a world champion and being a world champion again means a lot for me,” he added.
Alvarez said he had learned from the Crawford loss and acknowledged that he had not been in the right frame of mind.
“Little mistakes are the difference between winning and losing … I know what I did in the last fight,” he said. “The week of the fight my mind wasn’t there but … things happen, I learn and that’s it, we need to move forward.”
He said he and his team, led by trainer Eddy Reynoso, went to Spain to train with the camp of heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk.
“We learned from the best and Team Usyk helped me a lot,” Alvarez said. “We’re going to show that on Saturday.”
(Writing by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
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