Christian Mbilli says he hopes to problem Canelo Alvarez subsequent for his undisputed tremendous middleweight championship in the event that they each win their fights this Saturday evening, September 13, on Netflix at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
Predicting Canelo vs. Crawford
The Canadian-based Mbilli predicts that Canelo will defeat Terence Crawford in the principle occasion. He feels that Crawford gained’t have the ability to transfer up three weight lessons and dominate Canelo the identical manner he did within the different divisions.
Mbilli (29-0, 24 KOs) defends his WBC interim 168-lb title towards Lester Martinez in a 10-round combat on the undercard of Canelo vs. Crawford. Surprisingly, the Mbilli-Martinez combat isn’t the co-feature on the cardboard. It’s been positioned beneath the Callum Walsh vs. Fernando Vargas Jr. on the cardboard.
Turki Alalshikh hasn’t made a definitive assertion about who Canelo will combat subsequent if he defeats Crawford. Mbilli can be a wonderful selection, and that may make many U.S and Canadian followers pleased.
Nonetheless, it’s nonetheless too early to know who Turki will select. It gained’t be stunning if he bypasses Mbilli and selects #1 WBC Hamzah Sheeraz because the one who will problem Alvarez.
The Path to No. 1
“The purpose is to be champion, to be #1. Proper now, I’m #2, and after this combat, I hope to combat the #1 within the division,” mentioned Christian Mbilli at this time on the press convention about his hopes to face the undisputed tremendous middleweight champion subsequent if he’s victorious towards Lester Martinez on Saturday evening.
Mbilli has bought the massive puncher #3 WBA, #7 WBC, and #15 WBO Martinez (19-0, 16 KOs) that he should cope with. This man is a pure slugger and goes to go to warfare on Saturday. What the Guatemalan Martinez, 29, has going towards him in successful is that he hasn’t fought any notable opposition throughout his six-year profession.
“I believe Canelo goes to win, as a result of he’s an actual tremendous middleweight. For me, I don’t suppose you may take weight like this and do the identical that you’ve achieved up to now,” mentioned Mbilli when requested for his prediction for the Canelo vs. Crawford primary occasion on Saturday.
As you may see, Mbilli doesn’t suppose Crawford can transfer up three divisions and dominate Canelo like he’d achieved within the decrease weight lessons from welterweight to light-weight. We bought a glimpse of how Crawford struggled transferring up only one weight class from 147 to 154 in his final combat on August 3, 2024, towards Israil Madrimov.
Crawford didn’t appear like the identical fighter he’s been up to now, as he got here near dropping for the primary time in his profession. Now, he’s transferring up two further weight lessons from 154 to 168 with out a tune-up and coming off a yr’s layoff.
Mbilli says he thinks he’s going to get the Canelo combat, as a result of he’s assured he’ll defeat Martinez to get the final hurdle out of the best way for that combat to occur. It’ll nonetheless come all the way down to what Turki desires, and he may select Hamzah.
The Greatest Struggle of the Night time
Christian, 29, states that he expects his combat with Martinez to be the “finest combat” on Saturday’s card, and he may very well be proper. On paper, it guarantees to be extra entertaining than the principle occasion, in addition to the undercard. Crawford is predicted to field. So the principle occasion between him and Canelo might not be enjoyable to look at.
When Mbilli first discovered that he was dealing with Lester Martinez, he says he was “dissatisfied” as a result of he wished a “massive title fighter.” However he didn’t have a selection, so he was pressured to take the combat. Nonetheless, he nonetheless views it as a “nice combat.”
