Canelo makes decision on cancelling Christian Mbilli fight after deadly attack on Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia was subject to two deadly attacks over the weekend in which 13 people were killed, and 308 others were injured on Saturday at the King Khalid International Airport. A day later, one individual died, while a further 11 were injured in the second attack.

It has brought into doubt several major sporting events that are set to take place in Saudi Arabia, including the tennis competition, the Six Kings Slam, and now Canelo Alvarez’s fight with Christian Mbilli.

Now, the Mexican boxer has given a clear answer about whether this bout will go ahead in Saudi Arabia.

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Canelo Alvarez’s decision on Christian Mbilli fight after deadly attack on Saudi Arabia

The 36-year-old’s title fight with Mbilli is set to go ahead on October 31. That is despite a couple of deadly attacks by the Houthis on Saudi Arabian soil.

Over the weekend, two attacks on the King Khalid International Airport resulted in 14 deaths, along with 319 injured. It was the latest tragic loss of life due to the civil war in Yemen.

The conflict is between the country's government, which is supported by Saudi Arabia, and the Houthis, who are backed by Iran. It has been going on for the past decade and has left many thousands of people dead and plunged Yemen into one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.

A warning has been sent by the militant group to airlines and passengers not to use Saudi Arabian airports, as ‘they are potential targets and sites for operations by our forces’.

Yet, despite the warning and the recent attacks, Canelo intends for his Halloween bout to go ahead, which will see him square off with Mbilli for the WBC super-middleweight title in Riyadh.

Al-Sheikh, the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, stated in a post on social media on Sunday that Alvarez had personally assured him he remained committed to the bout regardless of the fraught security situation.

He wrote: “Canelo reached out and told me he’ll still fight in Riyadh this October, no matter what happens.

“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.”

Unless things escalate further, which may force a different view from Canelo, the fight is set to go ahead in the Saudi Arabian capital.

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2026 sporting events in Saudi Arabia which have been disrupted

Saudi Arabia has witnessed several events facing disruption due to the current conflicts that are ongoing in this region of the world.

Firstly, the 2026 Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix was cancelled in March, with the event set to take place in April due to the United States and Israel’s war with Iran.

The United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran in late February, which saw retaliation from Iran, with the Islamic Republic attacking not only the Jewish state, but also several Arab neighbours who have American military bases.

Due to safety concerns the F1 event was cancelled. Now, due to the ongoing conflict with the Houthis in Yemen, there are serious doubts about whether Canelo’s fight goes ahead, despite his reported assurances.

Along with the Six Kings Slam, as tennis stars Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, and Alexander Zverev may be forced not to compete, due to safety concerns.

Time will tell whether this is the case, but the clock is ticking on an official announcement as the tennis tournament is in just over a week.