Christian Mbilli has boldly declared his readiness to challenge the winner of the upcoming Canelo Álvarez vs Terence Crawford showdown. The undefeated French-Cameroonian boxer (29-0) will feature in the co-main event on the same card at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on September 13.
"I'm ready to put on a great show at this event and send a message that I'm next to face the winner of Canelo versus Crawford," Mbilli told Ring Magazine. "It's the fight of my life, but I'm ready to show the world how great I am."
Mbilli, also known as 'Solide', will face undefeated Guatemalan Lester Martínez (19-0) in a ten-round bout while Canelo Álvarez (63-2-2) and Terence Crawford (41-0) battle for the undisputed super middleweight championship in the main event.
The WBC interim champion is riding high after an impressive first-round knockout victory over Polish fighter Maciej Sulecki on June 27 at Centre Videotron in Quebec, Canada. That win elevated him from Continental Americas champion to interim titleholder.
Interestingly, Mbilli's boxing journey includes Olympic experience. He represented France at the 2016 Rio Olympics in the middleweight division, defeating Ukrainian Dmytro Mytrofanov in the round of 32 and Ecuadorian Marlo Delgado in the next phase before falling to eventual gold medalist Arlen López of Cuba in the quarterfinals.
Now based in Canada, the hard-hitting boxer seems determined to make the most of this high-profile opportunity. Will his performance against Martínez be enough to secure a shot at whoever emerges victorious in the Canelo-Crawford superfight?
