Inside Canelo’s record after losses and what it means for Christian Mbilli fight

A loss can make or break a fighter. They can either step up and improve, or falter and succumb to the pressure. While he hasn't lost many fights, Canelo Alvarez has proven he can step up following setbacks.

Canelo has lost three fights in his career. Each against great fighters spanning different phases of his career: Floyd Mayweather, Dmitry Bivol, and Terence Crawford.

The Mexican fighter recovered following losses against Mayweather and Bivol. Fans will now have to wait and see how Canelo will do a year after losing to Crawford. He faces Christian Mbilli on Halloween for the WBC super middleweight title.

Here's a breakdown of Canelo's losses, and perhaps more relevant to the Mbilli fight, what happened in his return.

Sept. 14, 2013: lost to Floyd Mayweather via majority decision

Next fight: def. Alfredo Angulo via TKO on March 8, 2014

Canelo was just 23 when he fought Floyd Mayweather in 2013.

Canelo couldn't cut off the ring against the defensive-minded Mayweather, who at 36 was incredibly still in an extended prime. Mayweather actually showcased his offense, landing 232 of 505 punches (46%), while Canelo landed 117 of 526 (22%). Mayweather landed 139 jabs and won via majority decision.

The fight was considered an eye-opener for Canelo. It also started a run we may never see again. Canelo went 15-0-1 after the Mayweather fight, winning gold across multiple divisions.

Canelo's next fight was a catchweight bout against Alfredo Angulo in March. It was a lopsided battle, with Canelo earning a tenth-round stoppage win. He landed 64% of his power punches.

May 7, 2022: lost to Dmitry Bivol via unanimous decision

Next fight: def. Gennady Golovkin via unanimous decision on Sept. 17, 2022

Canelo competed at light heavyweight in 2019, easily dispatching Sergey Kovalev. After, the weight-jumping Canelo returned to super middleweight and became undisputed in the division by beating Caleb Plant. From there, it was believed that whatever Canelo wanted, Canelo got. That included a return to light heavyweight against Dmitry Bivol.

The mighty Canelo flew too close to the sun against Bivol.

Bivol threw an average of 59 punches per round, landing 13. He landed 152 of 710 strikes (21.4%) compared to just 84 of 495 (17%) for Canelo, a career-low.

Canelo wanted to avenge the loss, but managed to get a trilogy fight against Gennadiy Golovkin. While a few years too late, there was still interest. Canelo controlled the fight, landing 130 of 487 strikes (26.7%) compared to 120 of 521 (23%) for GGG. While Golovkin landed 74 jabs, Canelo landed 85 power punches. Canelo won via unanimous decision.

Sept. 13, 2025: lost to Terence Crawford via unanimous decision

Next fight: TBD vs. Christian Mbilli on Oct. 31, 2026

Canelo was on a six-fight win streak after losing against Bivol. He once again became undisputed at super middleweight while beating fighters from Jermell Charlo to William Scull. Looking for a challenge, Canelo and welterweight great Terence Crawford agreed to a super fight in September 2025.

Crawford used a jab and hook to push Canelo back. Crawford had the edge, and it was in the later rounds that he brought Canelo to school. He landed a hook that clipped Canelo's chin and showcased his speed throughout the fight. Crawford landed 115 of 534 punches (21.5%) and Canelo landed 99 of 338 (29.3%).

Crawford retired after the fight. As for Canelo? We wait to see what happens against Christian Mbilli.