Canelo Álvarez beats Christian Mbilli to reclaim WBC super-middleweight title

Canelo Álvarez reclaims WBC title with win over Mbilli

Canelo Álvarez defeated Christian Mbilli by unanimous decision in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to reclaim the WBC super-middleweight title. The judges scored it 117-110, 116-111 and 115-112. Álvarez pulled away after a competitive first half, returning to the ring after a 13-month layoff and improving his record to 64-3-2, with 39 knockouts.

Jake Paul praised Álvarez on social media and again called for a fight between them. Álvarez, asked after the bout whether he hopes Terence Crawford will return from retirement, said he would welcome a rematch. He added that he would move forward with his career if the fight does not happen.

Usyk says he wants a cruiserweight fight with Benavidez

Oleksandr Usyk said he wants to return to cruiserweight and face David Benavidez. Speaking on the broadcast of Álvarez’s win over Mbilli, Usyk said he had “cleaned out” heavyweight and was back at his natural weight. He said he currently weighs 96 or 97 kilograms and called Benavidez a “big champion.”

Benavidez holds the WBA and WBO cruiserweight titles after stopping Gilberto Ramirez in May. He is scheduled to fight WBC champion Michal Cieslak on Dec. 5. Usyk and Benavidez would need to win the vacant IBF belt for a fight between them to be for undisputed status.

Carl Jammes Martin upsets David Picasso for WBC Silver belt

Carl Jammes Martin beat David Picasso by split decision to win the WBC Silver featherweight championship in Riyadh. Two judges scored the 10-round bout 95-94 and 96-93 for Martin, while the third gave Picasso a 96-95 edge. Martin improved to 29-0, with 21 knockouts.

The Filipino southpaw was more active and landed clean punches against Picasso, who had a five-inch reach advantage. Picasso scored the fight’s only knockdown in the seventh round when his jab caught Martin and the Filipino’s back foot slipped. The 27-year-old Martin was making his move up to the 126-pound division.

Denzel Bentley stripped of WBO middleweight title

The WBO stripped Denzel Bentley of its middleweight title after rejecting his request to make a voluntary defence against Shane Mosley Jr. The organization said Bentley failed to meet his mandatory obligations to fight unbeaten Cuban challenger Yoenli Hernandez. The decision was effective Oct. 30, 2026, and the title was declared vacant.

Warriors Boxing won the purse bid for the Hernandez fight with a $200,000 offer, entitling Bentley to $150,000. Bentley instead signed with Zuffa Boxing and was scheduled to face Mosley on Nov. 7 in London. The WBO said its executive committee unanimously ratified the decision.

Wilder and Opetaia reportedly agree to fight on Fury-Joshua card

Deontay Wilder and Jai Opetaia have reportedly agreed to fight on the undercard of Tyson Fury’s Dec. 11 bout with Anthony Joshua at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium. Boxing journalist Dan Rafael reported that the agreement was not yet signed. The fight’s weight has not been confirmed, but the bout would mark cruiserweight Opetaia’s heavyweight debut.

Wilder last fought in April, defeating Derek Chisora over 12 rounds. He lost his WBC heavyweight title to Fury in 2020 and was stopped in their 2021 rematch. Opetaia is a former two-time cruiserweight titleholder.

Filip Hrgovic criticizes WBA plan for Fury-Joshua title fight

IBF heavyweight champion Filip Hrgovic criticized the WBA’s reported decision to put its “super” title on the line when Fury faces Joshua on Dec. 11. Promoters Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren said the belt would be at stake, though the WBA had not confirmed the report in the evidence provided.

Hrgovic said neither fighter had earned a title opportunity through recent wins over Mariusz Wach and Kristian Prenga. He called the decision “killing the sport” and said it made boxing look less like a serious sport.

Keith Thurman says Pacquiao hit harder than Fundora

Keith Thurman compared Sebastian Fundora’s punching power to that of Manny Pacquiao after losing to both men. Fundora stopped Thurman in the sixth round to retain his WBC super-welterweight title, while Pacquiao beat him by split decision in 2019 after knocking him down in the opening round.

Thurman said Pacquiao hit harder and questioned the referee’s decision to stop the Fundora fight, arguing that it ended too soon. Thurman is scheduled to fight Vergil Ortiz Jr. at middleweight on the Dec. 5 Benavidez-Cieslak undercard.

Bellew backs Cordina to beat Pacquiao if fight is made

Tony Bellew predicted that Joe Cordina would knock out Manny Pacquiao if they meet on the Fury-Joshua undercard. Cordina, a former two-time super-featherweight champion, said he had agreed to a deal on his end. Pacquiao was still deciding whether to compete, according to the report.

Pacquiao returned to the ring in July 2025 and drew with WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios. Irish welterweight Paddy Donovan has also said his team contacted Pacquiao about a possible fight.

Jaime Munguía retains WBA title after tough fight with Nikita Zon

Jaime Munguía retained his WBA super-middleweight title with a unanimous-decision win over Nikita Zon. The judges scored the 12-round fight 117-111, 116-112 and 117-111. Munguía improved to 47-2, with 35 knockouts, while Zon fell to 12-1-1, with 10 knockouts.

Zon hurt Munguía in the sixth round and threatened to stop the champion before Munguía recovered and regained the initiative. Fightnews described the bout as harder than expected, while Boxing 247 said Zon repeatedly found openings in Munguía’s defence.

African Boxing secretary general Cyprian Tamo dies

Cyprian Tamo, the secretary general of African Boxing, died on Oct. 31, 2026, in Nairobi, Kenya, where he had been receiving medical treatment. World Boxing said it was saddened by his death and extended condolences to his family, colleagues and the African boxing community.

African Boxing president Solomon Kargbo announced Tamo’s death. The organization said it was coordinating arrangements, including the repatriation of his body for burial, with the Boxing Federation of Kenya.

Carl Frampton names Josh Warrington as hardest puncher he faced

Former world champion Carl Frampton named Josh Warrington as the hardest puncher he faced during his career. Frampton made the choice while discussing his loss to Warrington, who beat him on points in a challenge for the IBF featherweight title.

Frampton won world titles at super-bantamweight and featherweight, including a victory over Leo Santa Cruz. He last fought in 2021, losing to Jamel Herring in a challenge for the WBO junior lightweight title.

Rafael Espinoza stops Ricardo Blandon to retain WBO title

WBO featherweight champion Rafael Espinoza stopped substitute opponent Ricardo Blandon in the third round after a cut above Blandon’s left eye. The referee halted the fight on the ringside doctor’s advice at 1:22 of the round. Espinoza retained his title for the fifth time and improved to 29-0, with 25 knockouts.

Espinoza said he was interested in a unification fight, without naming a fellow featherweight champion. He also challenged undisputed 122-pound champion Naoya Inoue.

Frank Bruno says Floyd Cummings hit him hardest

Former heavyweight champion Frank Bruno named Floyd “Jumbo” Cummings as the hardest puncher he faced. Bruno said he could still feel Cummings’ right hand from their 1983 fight.

Cummings stopped Bruno by seventh-round technical knockout at London’s Royal Albert Hall. Cummings, who had built a reputation as a puncher, finished his career with 15 wins, six losses and one draw.

Frank Warren says Dubois-Parker could be a “cracker”

Promoter Frank Warren said Daniel Dubois could face former heavyweight champion Joseph Parker in a “cracker” early next year. Warren did not confirm a date or location, but reports had named Jan. 30 as a possible date in London or Manchester.

The pair were originally scheduled to meet in Riyadh in February 2025, but Dubois withdrew two days before the fight because of illness. Parker’s suspension after testing positive for cocaine following his October 2025 loss to Fabio Wardley was lifted by UK Anti-Doping in August.

Islam Makhachev says next fight could be among his last

UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev said his next fight will be “one of the last” of his career. He is expected to face the winner of Carlos Prates versus Michael Morales in late spring or summer 2027, according to the report.

Makhachev said he wanted to face the best contender and prove again that he is the best in the world. He has won 17 consecutive fights and captured UFC titles at lightweight and welterweight.