Munguia’s Gamble: Going through Mbilli in a Nightmare Matchup Might Be His Solely Approach Again Towards a Crawford Payday

WBC interim tremendous middleweight champion Christian Mbilli and Jaime Munguia are in negotiations for a combat in early 2026.

Munguia’s Dangerous Highway Again

#3 WBC Munguia (45-2, 35 KOs) shall be making an attempt to place himself for a fast world title shot by going through interim champion Mbilli (29-0-1, 24 KOs). It’s a foul fashion match-up for the 29-year-old Eddy Reynoso-trained Munguia, however he has no alternative.

Munguia has bought to take the shot if he needs to line himself up for a giant payday in opposition to undisputed champion Terence Crawford earlier than he retires.

The information on the Mbilli vs. Munguia combat negotiations was revealed in the present day by boxing insider Mike Coppinger on X.

Mbilli, 30, is coming off a 12-round majority draw in opposition to Lester Martinez within the combat of the evening on the undercard of Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford on September 13, 2025, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

Mbilli-Martinez stole the present, outperforming the headliner between the ageing Canelo and Crawford. The Montreal, Canada-based Mbilli probably would have gained the combat if not for Lester Martinez’s unlawful pushing off all evening, which saved him on the skin. The referee ought to have warned and penalized Lester for the shoving.

Munguia hasn’t finished a lot to should combat for the interim WBC title. He was knocked out within the sixth spherical by Bruno Surace on December 14, 2024, in Tijuana, Mexico.

Of their rematch, Munguia defeated Surace by a 12-round unanimous choice on Might 4, 2025. Nevertheless, Munguia’s A-sample from the combat turned up an opposed analytical discovering for exogenous testosterone metabolites.

Munguia’s B-sample additionally confirmed an opposed discovering. Munguia mentioned he didn’t deliberately take any banned substances that might result in a optimistic take a look at. He was later cleared by the UK Anti-Doping company. As such, Munguia’s victory over Surace stood.

Iglesias: The Contender Munguia Skipped

It could have regarded higher if Munguia had fought one of many contenders to earn a title shot in opposition to Mbilli, given the controversy over his final combat and his knockout loss to Surace earlier than that. Having Munguia go up in opposition to the Cuban knockout artist Osleys Iglesias (14-0, 13 KOs) would have been the best method for him to earn a combat in opposition to WBC interim champion Mbilli.