Canelo Alvarez finds himself in a high-stakes balancing act, where the pursuit of a championship directly collides with undeniable risks. Landing in Saudi Arabia, the Mexican star finds himself amid a situation that remains tense, with reports indicating attacks at airports. Canelo, however, remains undeterred, focused on the task ahead. He faces WBC super middleweight champion Christian Mbilli on the card set to take place at Riyadh’s Kingdom Arena on October 31.

“I see a beautiful Riyadh,” Canelo told reporters. “I see a beautiful Riyadh. I saw in the media a lot of things but I’m always confident about coming to Riyadh. Like I told Turki, I’m going to come and fight in Riyadh and be a world champion again, and I feel safe (here).

“I feel like I’m at home, and I don’t see anything bad. Whatever I can do in Riyadh, but right now, this week, I’m focused 100% on the fight, but then we’ll see.”

Canelo’s comments center around the escalating hostilities in the region. Major infrastructures, including the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and King Fahd International Airport in the Eastern Province, seem to have come under attack, with reports suggesting several fatalities.

After the United States Embassy and Consulates in Saudi Arabia issued a cautionary notice advising American citizens to remain vigilant, the U. S. State Department ordered all non-emergency U.S. government employees and family members to leave Saudi Arabia.

The rising tension raised questions over whether the boxing event should continue.

Addressing the concerns, Turki Alalshikh revealed that Canelo himself told him that he wants to go ahead with the fight as planned. “Canelo reached out and told me he’ll still fight in Riyadh this October, no matter what happens,” he wrote. “He fears nothing.

“My country is home to the two Holy Mosques, land of peace, safety, rich civilization, deep history, and kind-hearted people. Thank you to everyone who checked in and showed support. Hard times reveal true friends.🙏🏻❤️🥊.”

Concerns, however, continued. Several prominent figures, including Oscar De La Hoya, criticized Canelo and Alalshikh. According to De La Hoya, the fighter and the Saudi power broker prioritized financial interests over human life.

While the card features Canelo and his stablemates Jaime Munguia, Rafael Espinoza, and David Picasso, the appearance of Lindolfo Delgado, who is facing Arthur Biyarslanov for the vacant IBF light welterweight title on the main card, appears to have become doubtful.

In an interview with BoxingScene, Delgado’s trainer spoke about the lack of proper communication from the organizers and said, “Man, I don’t want to be in the documentary 25 years from now. You know, talking about all these brave fighters that went out there and coaches and managers and trainers that went out there and never came back. Hell no! I don’t want to. I don’t.”

The developments remain unprecedented in Canelo’s career. He has faced situations when a boxing card was shifted. Before it took place, the fight against Terence Crawford faced date and venue-related changes on September 13, 2025.

Still, the situation likely developed due to business and availability requirements. It is the first time when Canelo’s event, especially one in which his own promotion company is involved, came under scrutiny for political turmoil.

Why did Canelo Alvarez go ahead despite knowing the risks involved?

The most likely reason could be that Canelo, who turned 36 this past July, anticipates a retirement after four to five fights. Before he calls it a career, the Mexican star wants to become a world champion again. A two-time undisputed champion at 168 pounds, Canelo found himself sidelined after the loss to Crawford and the subsequent elbow surgery.

As he enters the final chapter of his career, Canelo wants to reclaim his lost glory and cement his legacy.

A practical assessment indicates contractual obligations. Last year he signed a 4-fight deal with Alalshikh’s Riyadh Season. The Mbilli fight is the third under the deal, leaving one more for Canelo to complete the contract. Speaking with Mike Coppinger, Canelo revealed that after Mbilli, he expects his next fight to take place as soon as possible, most likely by February 2027.

The urgency suggests he wants to fulfill his binding commitments and be free to pursue the fights left in his career.

Given his stablemates Munguia and Espinoza are also involved in title fights, any move to shift or postpone the event could affect their career plans as well.

As a team, they invested a significant amount of time and money training at Oleksandr Usyk’s facility in the gym. The move was supposed to help them adjust to Saudi Arabia’s local time zone. It would have been a total waste if the event was rescheduled or postponed.

The reasons likely became compelling for Canelo to go ahead with the event, with some reports suggesting the situation in Saudi Arabia was gradually getting back to normalcy.