One of the biggest fights of 2025's first half features Canelo Alvarez who will fight William Scull for the undisputed super middleweight titles. Saul "Canelo" Alvarez faces William Scull on May 3 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The first of two undisputed title fights this weekend will see Canelo Alvarez attempt to regain the IBF super middleweight title from William Scull in his first fight outside of North America.
Here's a breakdown of the Canelo Alvarez vs. William Scull fight card.
The May 3 fight card from Riyadh can be purchased through DAZN pay-per-view for $59.99. DAZN also offers a pay-per-view bundle, packaging the Alvarez fight card with the Ryan Garcia headlined fight card on May 2 for $89.99. The fight will be in the ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Fight Card
- Main Event: Canelo Alvarez (62-2-2, 39 KOs) vs. William Scull (23-0, 9 KOs) for the WBC, WBO, WBA, IBF super middleweight titles
- Co-Main Event: Jaime Munguia (44-2, 35 KOs) vs. Bruno Surace (26-0-2, 5 KOs)
- Heavyweight Bout: Martin Bakole (21-2, 16 KOs) vs. Efe Ajagba (20-1, 14 KOs)
- WBC Cruiserweight Title: Badou Jack (28-3-3, 17 KOs) vs. Noel Mikaelian (27-2, 12 KOs)
- Marco Verde (debut) vs. Michel Polina (4-5-3, 2 KOs)
- Brayan Leon (6-0, 6 KOs) vs. Aaron Guerrero (11-3-1, 7 KOs)
The Alvarez vs. Scull undercard will see a rematch between Jaime Munguia and Bruno Surace, after Surace handed Munguia his second career loss last December, along with a heavyweight matchup between the hard-hitting Martin Bakole and Efe Ajagba.
Key Bouts in Detail
Canelo Alvarez vs William Scull - Preview & Prediction
Canelo Alvarez vs. William Scull
Alvarez reigned as undisputed champion at 168 pounds from November 2021, when he defeated Caleb Plant to win the IBF title. He held that until July 2024, when the IBF stripped Alvarez of his belt for failing to face Scull when he become the sanctioning body's No. 1 contender despite a relatively unimpressive resume. With a win over Scull, Alvarez would once again become undisputed champion at super middleweight, holding all four title. It would help set up what is expected to be a blockbuster bout against Terence Crawford later this year.
Read also: Potential Canelo Fight
Jaime Munguia vs. Bruno Surace
In the co-feature, Jaime Munguia gets an immediate shot at redemption in a rematch with France's Bruno Surace. Munguia (44-2, 35 KOs) was seemingly miles ahead on the scorecards this past December when he was brutally knocked out by Surace in the sixth round in a major upset. Surace (26-0, 5 KOs) was priced as high as a 12-to-1 underdog by BetMGM bookmakers when he tore up the script in Munguia's Tijuana homecoming.
Munguia wasn't going to let a loss to Canelo Alvarez in May of 2024 slow his career. He got in the ring four months later and bounced back with a 10th round knockout of Erik Bazinyan in his first fight with Top Rank. Munguia opted to get one more fight in before the end of the year, scheduling a hometown bout against the little-known Frenchman Bruno Surace, who had just four knockout victories in 27 fights. It was the second loss of Munguia's career following the defeat to Alvarez and earned The Ring's Upset of the Year in 2024, prompting an immediate rematch in the co-main event on May 3.
Martin Bakole vs. Efe Ajagba
Also on the Alvarez vs. Scull undercard, Martin Bakole clashes with Efe Ajagba in a heavyweight contest. Two of the heavyweight division's top contenders clash in a battle to remain title relevant ahead of Alvarez vs. Scull.
Bakole (21-1, 16 KOs) was ordered to face Ajagba (20-1, 14 KOs) by the IBF as a final eliminator for Daniel Dubois' world title until he stepped in as a short-notice replacement for Dubois on the Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol 2 undercard in February to face Joseph Parker. Bakole was knocked out in the second round by Parker, and as a result the IBF rescinded its order for Bakole vs. Ajagba, so it will not be a final eliminator bout when the pair clash in May. Ajagba was last in action when he edged Guido Vianello by split decision this past April. The Nigerian will end a 12-month layoff when he faces Bakole.
Badou Jack vs. Noel Mikaelian
Ahead of the main event's undisputed title showdown, Badou Jack returns to the ring in defense of his WBC cruiserweight title against Noel Mikaelian. Badou Jack defends his WBC cruiserweight title against Noel Mikaelian after a long layoff and title-related complications.
Read also: Shop Canelo Alvarez Shirts
The 41-year-old Jack has been out of the ring since February 2023 when he won the WBC belt with a 12th round technical knockout of Ilunga Makabu on the undercard of Jake Paul vs. Tommy Fury. Later that year Jack was named the WBC's "champion-in-recess" as he pondered over a potential shift in weight class. Mikaelian was then ordered by the sanctioning body to fight for the vacant title against Makabu, just months after his loss to Jack.
Jack (28-3-3, 17 KOs), a three-division world champion, hasn't boxed in almost two years. His most recent in-ring appearance came when he won the WBC cruiserweight championship with a 12th-round stoppage win over Ilunga Makabu in February 2023.
Additional Bouts
Rounding out the card, 2024 Olympic silver medalist Marco Verde (0-0) makes his professional debut against Michel Galvan Polina (4-5-3, 2 KOs) and Brayan Leon (6-0, 6 KOs) battles Aaron Rocha Guerrero (11-3-1, 7 KOs) in a light heavyweight contest.
Fighter Stats
| Fighter | Record | Age |
|---|---|---|
| Canelo Alvarez | 62-2-2 (39 KOs) | 34 |
| William Scull | 23-0 (9 KOs) | 32 |
Odds
Alvarez is a heavy -3000 favorite.
Read also: Alvarez vs. Berlanga: Fight Analysis