Christian Mbilli and Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez made weight for the world title in Riyadh just 24 hours after two ballistic missiles were intercepted over the Saudi Arabian capital.
Mbilli, 31, was promoted to WBC super-middleweight champion in January and makes his first defense against Mexico’s Alvarez at 36 on Saturday.
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Both fighters are tipped at 12 (76kg) ahead of the season, but are very respectable faces.
Alvarez, who will enter the ring at 69 on Saturday, made his professional debut almost exactly 21 years ago on October 29, 2005.
“This is very important to me, I’ve been doing this for 21 years and I won my first century title 16 years ago. It’s important for me to win the title again,” said Alvarez.
“My experience is different, I have not faced anyone like me, and I will teach him tomorrow.”
Doubts have been raised in recent weeks about whether the event can be held safely because of the growing conflict between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthi movement.
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The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is now warning against all but essential travel to all of Saudi Arabia.
On Thursday, the Saudi Press Agency reported that the Civil Defense had intercepted two ballistic missiles over Riyadh. The civilian sustained minor injury and there was damage to the house and vehicle due to falling shrapnel.
Earlier in October, a missile strike at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport killed 13 people and injured more than 300.
Travel arrangements for observers into the city on Saturday were complicated by restricted access to the airport.
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While other sporting events in Saudi Arabia – including the Six Kings Slam tennis exhibition, the final round of the 2026 World Rally Championship and the 2026 Urban Revolution World Championships – have been canceled, the world sporting events have not followed suit.
Friday’s weigh-in started with a Mariachi band, with a hollow card in Mexico v the world.
Four-weight world champion Alvarez fights for the first time against Terence Crawford in September 2025.
Saturday will be the first time Alvarez has entered the city without a world title to his name since 2015.
Cameroon-born Mbilli, who is disabled in Canada, has yet to lose in 30 professional bouts, winning 29 and drawing one, with 24 of those victories coming by stoppage.
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“Tomorrow night I will beat him in every way. I have the best condition and technique,” Mbilli said.
“I won’t change a lot of mine. It will be the fight of the year.”
Meanwhile, Mexico’s Jaime Munguia defends his WBA super-middleweight title against Nikita Zon in the co-main event, and compatriot Rafael Espinoza puts his WBO belt on the line against Ricardo Blandon.
But Mexican Lindolfo Delgado withdrew from his bout against Russian-Canadian Artur Biyarslanov for the vacant IBF light welterweight title earlier this week.