Edgar Berlanga Predicts Canelo Alvarez vs Christian Mbilli Fight

In boxing, few people offer more brutal critiques than other boxers. Whether it's kept in the guise of fight promotion, jealousy, general dislike, or honest opinion, fighters will offer the commentary without hesitation, letting their words fly as fast as their fists.

Edgar Berlanga has time on his hands after a seventh-round knockout of Steven Butler at Zuffa Boxing 09. At the same time, he doesn't believe that Christian Mbilli can muster enough offense to defeat Canelo Alvarez.

On October 31st, Canelo and the undefeated Mbilli will clash, and Berlanga thinks the future Hall of Famer doesn't have much to worry about.

Canelo vs Crawford | IMAGO / Hoganphotos

Berlanga's fight assessment

Berlanga opened the discussion with his prediction, and the Brooklyn-born fighter had no hesitation.

“I truly believe that Canelo could stop him,” Berlanga told The Ring. “I think that Mbilli is nothing special. To me, he’s a guy who comes forward, has good conditioning, and throws a lot of punches."

In his critique, Berlanga never praised any specific trait Mbilli does well. For instance, he didn't mention speed, footwork, or defense in his opening. Yet, when citing an example, Berlanga arrived at one he believes is the perfect description.

"But when it comes to IQ, I saw him fight against Sergiy Derevyanchenko, who literally had one hand and almost stopped him. He had one arm. He had torn his [biceps] in the fight."

Christian Mbilli | IMAGO / Panoramic by PsnewZ

Derevyanchenko, as a 38-year-old with a severely compromised arm, defeated Mbilli. To Berlanga, that shows a lack of awareness. When an opponent is hurt, why not take advantage? By circling away from the good arm, Mbilli could have waited for a counterpunch. Instead, an injured fighter almost pulled a major upset.

The last time anyone saw Alvarez in the ring, Bud Crawford beat him in a historic win. However, after his two previous losses, Alvarez rebounded in determined fashion. After Floyd Mayweather beat him in 2013, Alvarez defeated at least ten former world champions, re-establishing himself.

Furthermore, when Dmitry Bivol defeated him in 2022, the iconic Mexican went on a run of victories against the likes of Gennady Golovkin, Jermell Charlo, Jaime Munguia and Berlanga.

Canelo Alvarez vs Dmitry Bivol | IMAGO / Agencia-MexSport

Berlanga lost to Alvarez in 2024. As a result, he understands the pace and punch force that will challenge Mbilli. On top of that, Canelo loves the counterpunch. Mbilli is a volume puncher, but what happens when he faces a sharper puncher, not so much with strength but with accuracy? Will Berlanga's words prove accurate, or will Mbilli pull off the serious upset?

Add us as a preferred source on Google