The highly anticipated world title boxing match between Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Christian M’Billi is set to proceed this month in Saudi Arabia, sports promoter Turki Al-Sheikh confirmed on Sunday. The decision comes despite a series of attacks on the nation’s airports that have resulted in at least 14 deaths in Riyadh over the past 48 hours.
The fight is scheduled for October 31 in the Saudi capital, a city that has frequently been targeted by Yemen’s Houthi rebels. Al-Sheikh attempted to address safety concerns regarding the event, noting that Alvarez remains committed to competing regardless of the instability.
Sunday’s violence saw a projectile strike King Khalid International Airport, killing one person and injuring 11 others, according to Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA). This followed a Houthi attack on the same airport on Saturday that killed 13 people and wounded more than 300, marking the deadliest incident in Saudi Arabia in over a decade. The Houthis have claimed responsibility for four prior strikes on Saudi airports, though no group has yet claimed responsibility for Sunday’s attack.
Alvarez, a multi-division world champion, is set to face WBC super-middleweight champion M’Billi in the upcoming bout. Highlighting the boxer’s resolve, Al-Sheikh, who also serves as chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, posted on social media that Alvarez personally assured him he would still fight in Riyadh this October.
“He fears nothing,” Al-Sheikh wrote regarding the Mexican fighter. Alvarez, a former two-time undisputed super-middleweight champion, has not competed since his defeat to American Terence Crawford in September 2025.
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