Bob Arum, the veteran boxing promoter, has put his weight behind Christian Mbilli as the fighter who could potentially dethrone both Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez and David Benavidez in the super-middleweight division.
Arum's bold statement comes as Mbilli, a 29-year-old boxer with an impressive record of 27 wins and no losses, gets ready for his upcoming fight against the tough Ukrainian, Sergiy Derevyanchenko, this weekend.
Canelo Alvarez, the unified super-middleweight champion, has long been considered the top dog in the division. With 65 fights under his belt and only two losses - one to Floyd Mayweather in 2013 and another to Dmitry Bivol at light-heavyweight - Canelo's dominance is clear. He's made four defenses of his undisputed status, though he was recently stripped of the IBF title.
Speaking to Boxing News, Arum didn't hold back in his praise for Mbilli:
"We really think that Mbilli would give Canelo a hell of a fight, I think he would beat Canelo, but whatever it would be a really good fight. I think Mbilli also would be very competitive with Benavidez. He's fighting for us in August, I'll be there in Quebec …. he is really a force to be reckoned with."
Arum's confidence in Mbilli stems from the fighter's recent performances. In May, Mbilli made quick work of Mark Heffron, stopping him in the first round. Before moving up to super-middleweight, he won youth and international belts at middleweight.
The promoter also pointed out Mbilli's fearlessness in the ring, a quality that could prove crucial against top-tier opponents like Canelo and Benavidez.
While Arum talks up Mbilli's potential, Canelo isn't sitting idle. The Mexican superstar has confirmed his next fight against undefeated Edgar Berlanga, set for September 14 in Las Vegas.
As Mbilli prepares for his bout with Derevyanchenko, boxing fans will keep a close eye on his performance. If he lives up to Arum's high praise, we might see him challenging the division's elite sooner rather than later.
