Christian Mbilli extended his unbeaten record after the Frenchman beat Ukrainian Sergiy Derevyanchenko, and he now believes that he is ready to take on the elite in the super-middleweight division.
It was another strong performance from Christian Mbilli, who looked comfortable throughout his win in Quebec City on Saturday (August 17, 2024) night while Sergiy Derevyanchenko struggled to make an impact, fighting on with an injury to his left bicep.
After impressing in the ring yet again, it’s only a matter of time before the Cameroonian-born boxer gets his shot at a world title fight.
Christian Mbilli has Canelo Alvarez fight in his sights
Mbilli has now rightfully earned the chance to look upward and consider some of the best fighters in the division and although he didn’t say Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez’s name itself, it’s quite obvious who his dream fight would be.
“I’m ready for big fights. I want to be a world champion. I know that to be the best, I have to beat the best,” said the Frenchman.
“I don’t want to say any names, but everybody knows who’s number one. I want the fight with number one.”
Canelo Alvarez preparing for Edgar Berlanga fight next month
Any potential fight between Mbilli and Canelo will have to wait a while given that the Mexican is currently training for September’s bout against Edgar Berlanga.
The four-weight champion will put his WBC, WBA, and WBO super-middleweight belts on the line against Berlanga, who will be involved in his first world title fight.
Canelo has only lost twice in his professional career whereas Berlanga has yet to taste defeat, however, this will be his biggest test by far.
Despite that, Canelo has still been linked with a host of fighters, including Terence Crawford and Chris Eubank Jr.
A fight with Eubank Jr could be closer than ever after he signed a new contract with Boxxer and Sky Sports in July 2024 while Canelo himself has made one request to make a fight against Crawford happen.
When could a Christian Mbilli vs Canelo Alvarez fight take place?
Any challenge would have to see Mbilli become a mandatory challenger to Canelo (should he beat Berlanga) but even then, 2025 is the earliest.
Top Rank chairman Bob Arum, who promotes Mbilli, even suggested May 2025 as a reasonable target.
Speaking before his boxer’s win, he said via World Boxing News: “As with any of my fighters, my goal is to bring Christian Mbilli to the top.
“I believe a fight against Canelo would be excellent, and at this point, even I think Mbilli would win. Of course, I can’t speak for Canelo, but I’m optimistic we could set up the fight in May.
“I hope this opportunity is the final step towards a world title.”