Renowned undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez is set to make his highly anticipated return to the ring on September 12, as announced by Turki Alalshikh, chairman of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority, in conjunction with Alvarez himself. This upcoming event, billed as "Mexico Against the World," is slated to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, coinciding with Mexican Independence Day, and marks a significant moment as the inaugural card for Canelo Promotions. While no specific opponent has been named yet, Alalshikh hinted that Alvarez, at 35 years old, is expected to contend for a world title in the main event.

Alvarez (63-2-2, 39 KOs) has been out of action since his unanimous decision defeat to Terence Crawford last September. Following that loss, he underwent elbow surgery and had initially aimed for a February return. However, additional recovery time was necessary, pushing his comeback to the newly announced September date.

The landscape of the super middleweight division has shifted since Alvarez's last fight, with the WBC, IBF, and WBO super middleweight titles currently vacant due to the retirement of Crawford. Jose Armando Resendiz has recently been elevated to the full WBA champion, adding another key figure to the division. Furthermore, Diego Pacheco and Hamzah Sheeraz are anticipated to clash for the vacant WBO title, setting the stage for potential future matchups and title unifications that could involve Alvarez.

This significant combat sports news is reported by Andreas Hale, a combat sports reporter at ESPN, who extensively covers MMA, boxing, and pro wrestling. Hale's comprehensive background includes roles as a senior writer at DAZN and Sporting News before joining ESPN. He began his distinguished career as a music journalist, contributing to prominent outlets such as HipHopDX, The Grammys, and Jay-Z's Life+Times. Demonstrating his versatility and storytelling prowess, Andreas Hale is also an NAACP Image Award-nominated filmmaker, recognized as a producer for the animated short film "Bridges" in 2024. In his leisure, he enjoys video games, has a deep passion for music, and is an avid supporter of the White Sox and 49ers. He further contributes to the combat sports community as a host for Sirius XM's Fight Nation.