Christian Mbilli vs Canelo: Best bets for super middleweight showdown

On October 31, at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Christian Mbilli vs Canelo headlines a Ring Magazine card with Mbilli’s WBC super middleweight title on the line. The entire card will be shown live on DAZN PPV and DAZN Ultimate. Despite many wondering if this card would go ahead given the recent attacks in Riyadh and the numerous events over the next few weeks and months that have been subsequently cancelled, we have reached fight week, and given the world title on the line, we are bringing you Big Fight Weekend’s best bets for October 31.

Christian Mbilli vs Canelo set for world title showdown

Fight week has arrived, so it looks like Christian Mbilli vs Canelo will go ahead despite all the public uncertainty surrounding the event. Dan Rafael is reporting that the Lindolfo Delgado vs Arthur Biyarslanov will “probably not” happen, despite Biyarslanov having already arrived in Riyadh. It appears this has been a classic example of who will blink first. If Riyadh Season had cancelled the event, they would have had to pay Canelo and the undercard fighters, whereas if the Mexican had refused to fight, he would have forfeited.

Christian Mbilli vs Canelo best bets

Does Canelo (63-3-2, 39 KOs) have the power anymore? He’s had no knockout win since stopping Caleb Plant in 2021. He has scored knockdowns against John Ryder, Jermell Charlo, Jaime Munguia, and Edgar Berlanga. However, he has been unable to finish in any of those fights, so Canelo to win by decision is a sensible pick, with FanDuel Sportsbook pricing that selection at -145.

Mbilli (29-0-1, 24 KOs) is a come-forward fighter who will look to unsettle Canelo from the first bell. He carries plenty of power, but Canelo has proven his granite chin throughout his career. Has father time caught up with Canelo? If you believe it has, bookies are pricing an Mbilli KO/TKO/DQ win at +600.

The Cameroonian-born fighter gets hit, and this was proven against Lester Martinez. If Canelo has maintained his accuracy and the power is still there, could Mbilli walk onto something? Alvarez to win by KO/TKO/DQ is priced at around +390 with most bookmakers.

The Big Fight Weekend verdict

Our favourite bet is Canelo to win by decision. Most bookies have that at -145. Canelo to score a knockdown but win by decision is a fascinating bet if you can find a bookie offering that. He has a strong history of that throughout his career.

Looking at the fight, Mbilli is all action and will bring pressure to Canelo. However, he does come forward in straight lines, and if Canelo slips those punches and punishes his opponent, as he has done in the past, this could be a long and frustrating night for Mbilli. If Canelo has slowed since the Crawford fight, Mbilli could pin him down and unload his high-volume power punching. We are backing Canelo’s experience to come through, and him to win by decision.

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