Tim Bradley forecasts a late knockout for Canelo vs Mbilli

Tim Bradley expects this weekend’s showdown between Canelo Álvarez and Christian Mbilli to end in a knockout.

Álvarez will challenge Mbilli for the WBC super‑middleweight title in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday. It will be the first time both fighters have faced each other since September 2025.

During that Las Vegas event, Canelo lost his undisputed super‑middleweight crown to Terence Crawford, while Mbilli earned a draw against Lester Martinez in a WBC interim title bout.

Following Crawford’s retirement and the subsequent vacating of his belts, Mbilli was promoted to full champion. The 31‑year‑old will now defend the title against Canelo.

Bradley, however, doubts Mbilli’s ability to succeed in his first defence. Speaking to DAZN, he expressed confidence that Álvarez could secure a late knockout.

“Mbilli will be available for everything – uppercuts, body shots, left hooks. His activity can be bothersome, I’m not going to lie, and if Canelo lands shots and can’t hurt him and can’t get his respect, Mbilli stays in the fight.

“I feel like Canelo will be sitting down and softening him up a bit. Canelo might even take a few shots and then land something big, hurt him and maybe even stop him late.”

A knockout victory would be the first time Canelo has finished a fight inside the distance since his 11th‑round stoppage of Caleb Plant in 2021. All eight of his bouts since then have gone the full 12 rounds.

Source link