Canelo first tasted defeat back in September 2013. He was the undefeated WBC super-welterweight champion with a 42-0-1 record when he stepped into the ring with Floyd Mayweather. Mayweather put on a masterclass, handing Canelo his first pro loss on points.
But it's not that high-profile setback that bothers Canelo the most. In a recent chat with Cigar Talk, he revealed it's actually his more recent loss to Dmitry Bivol in May 2022 that gets under his skin.
"The Bivol fight bothers me more because I think I'm not 100% in that fight. I should stop it and take more time. At the end of the day everything happens for a reason. I learned a lesson that way and that's it."
The Bivol fight was for the WBA light-heavyweight title. Canelo, already a champ at 160lbs, 168lbs, and 175lbs, went in as the big favorite. But Bivol shocked everyone with a unanimous decision win.
Canelo feels he wasn't at his best that night. He thinks he should've taken a step back and given himself more time to prepare. But he's not dwelling on it, saying everything happens for a reason and that he learned from the experience.
Since that loss, Canelo's bounced back strong. He's won five fights in a row, most recently beating Edgar Berlanga by unanimous decision in September to keep his unified super-middleweight titles.
Looking ahead, Canelo's expected to get back in the ring in May. But one of his main rivals says they've "moved on" from wanting to fight him. We'll have to wait and see who Canelo faces next as he continues to add to his impressive 66-fight career.