Al Jazeera
The world title fight between Saul "Canelo" Alvarez and Christian M'billi is set to proceed in Saudi Arabia this October, despite recent missile attacks that have targeted the country's airports, resulting in the death of at least 14 individuals in Riyadh over the last two days, as confirmed by Saudi sports promoter Turki Al-Sheikh.
Scheduled for October 31 in the Saudi capital, the Alvarez vs M'billi bout comes amidst ongoing assaults by Yemen's Houthi militants. However, Al-Sheikh reassured fans and stakeholders about the fight going forward during a statement made on Sunday.
Reports from Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) indicate one fatality and 11 injuries on Sunday due to a projectile hit at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. This followed a deadly Houthi attack on the same airport the previous day, which resulted in 13 deaths and over 300 injuries, marking one of the most lethal assaults on Saudi territory in over ten years.
The Houthi faction has claimed responsibility for four separate strikes on Saudi airports prior to Sunday’s incident, which has not yet been attributed to any specific group.
Alvarez, recognized for holding multiple world championship titles across different weight classes, will compete against WBC super-middleweight titleholder M'billi in this eagerly awaited contest.
"Canelo reached out and told me he'll still fight in Riyadh this October, no matter what happens," Al-Sheikh, who also chairs Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority, expressed in a social media update. "He [Alvarez] fears nothing."
The Mexican fighter has not been in the ring since facing American boxer Terence Crawford in September 2025, where he suffered a defeat.
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