Halloween Night in Riyadh: Boxing Tonight as Canelo Alvarez Faces Christian Mbilli, Start Time, Card and How to Watch

Alvarez returns for title bout

Alvarez is seeking to reclaim a former belt after losing his 168-pound titles to Terence Crawford in September 2025. Mbilli also fought on that Las Vegas card, drawing by split decision with Lester Martinez.

The Halloween event in Riyadh marks the first time since 2020 that world championship boxing has taken place on Halloween night. The Alvarez-Mbilli bout is scheduled for 12 rounds for the WBC super middleweight title.

Changes to the co-main event

WBA super middleweight champion Jaime Munguia will instead face undefeated Nikita Zon. Riyadh Season is promoting the bout as a fight for Munguia’s title, but the WBA has not sanctioned it and does not list it on its website.

Espinoza defends his belt

WBO featherweight champion Rafael Espinoza will put his title on the line against Ricardo Blandon in a 12-round undercard bout. Espinoza is appearing on a Ring-promoted event for the first time.

Blandon, who has a 21-6 record, has won his last four fights. The Nicaraguan is competing outside his home country for the fourth time; he lost each of his three previous trips abroad.

Start time and listed fights

The event is scheduled to start at 1 p.m. EST, or 10 a.m. PST. Main-event ringwalks are expected at approximately 4:30 p.m. EST. The listed card also includes Carlos Emiliano Rojo Vazquez against Flavius Biea in an eight-round middleweight bout, and Sultan Almohammed against Erick Jahir Urvina Villegas in a six-round super featherweight contest.