Oscar De La Hoya Criticizes Canelo Alvarez Christian Mbilli Fight

De La Hoya questioned Canelo’s opponent choice and Saudi location while suggesting the fight is driven more by money than legacy

Oscar De La Hoya says Christian Mbilli is not the kind of opponent Canelo Alvarez should be fighting at this stage of his career. De La Hoya questioned both the matchup and the Riyadh location while suggesting Canelo is now prioritizing major paydays over legacy fights.

“Mbilli, come on. I just don’t like the fight, especially if it’s not going to be here in the US. Again, we have to watch a fight at 9 am? I’m just not a fan of that,” said promoter De La Hoya to Fight Hub TV.

“I would’ve loved Canelo to fight here in Vegas in September, with all his fans cheering him on. That’s what fight fans wanna experience, big events.”

The former promoter of Canelo Alvarez also suggested he believes the Mexican star is nearing the end of his career and is choosing safer options instead of the biggest available fights.

“Every fighter has his peak, and then you start to see the exit coming. [Canelo’s] a few fights away from retirement, so I don’t blame him for taking the money and running,” said De La Hoya.

“But I do feel that he has a few good fights left in him against great fighters. Not Mbilli.”

Mbilli entered the fight after a 10-round draw against Lester Martinez last September, which remains the biggest bout of his career. The French fighter was later elevated from interim to full WBC champion following Crawford’s retirement.

The strained relationship between Oscar De La Hoya and Canelo has continued for years since their split, making De La Hoya one of the more vocal critics of Alvarez’s recent matchmaking decisions.

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