“This fight will change my life,” Mbilli said on the Mr. Verzace Podcast. “After this fight, it will change the lives of many of the generations of Mbilli.”
For Mbilli, the bout represents a chance to secure the type of payday and exposure that few fighters receive. The 31-year-old Cameroon native will make the first defense of the WBC title he inherited after Terence Crawford vacated the belt.
Mbilli has spent years climbing the rankings, but a fight against Canelo offers a different level of opportunity.
“I think I’m a very dangerous fighter for him, but I have to be careful, too, because it’s Canelo,” said Mbilli. “He’s not a small boxer, but I think I will make a statement this fight.”
The unbeaten champion enters the contest with a 29-0-1 record and 24 knockouts. He was elevated from interim champion to full WBC titleholder after Crawford’s departure from the division.
Canelo, 35, has not fought since losing his super middleweight championship to Crawford last September. The Mexican star later underwent elbow surgery, delaying his return to the ring.
Mbilli believes the September 12 fight will provide him with the platform to establish himself as the leading figure in the division.
“In September, it will be my time,” Mbilli said. “In September, I will be the face of the super middleweight division.”
The bout is scheduled to headline a DAZN Pay-Per-View event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
