A WORLD title fight on Canelo Alvarez’s undercard has been AXED just days before the boxing superstar returns to the ring.

The Mexican icon, 36, is set to challenge Christian Mbilli for the WBC super-middleweight crown in Saudi Arabia on Saturday.

But the blockbuster event in Riyadh has suffered a major blow after Lindolfo Delgado withdrew from his scheduled showdown with Arthur Biyarslanov.

The unbeaten pair were due to battle it out for the vacant IBF super-lightweight championship in one of the night’s biggest supporting contests.

However, Delgado and his team have remained in the United States amid growing security fears and major travel complications.

Boxing journalist Dan Rafael initially raised doubts over the fight after revealing the Mexican and his trainer Robert Garcia had yet to arrange flights to Saudi Arabia.

And Garcia has since confirmed the contest is off, telling BoxingScene that his fighter will not be making the trip.

The three-time Trainer of the Year expressed concerns over the safety of travelling to Riyadh, with the ongoing unrest also leaving his boxer facing disrupted preparation.

Biyarslanov, meanwhile, had already made the journey to Saudi Arabia alongside fellow Canadian-based star Mbilli.

But according to reports, their journey was far from straightforward, with alternative travel arrangements required to reach the Saudi capital.

It remains unclear whether Biyarslanov will be handed a replacement opponent or removed from the event altogether.

The cancellation comes after Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport was targeted by deadly Houthi missile strikes earlier this month.

The attacks claimed several lives and caused major disruption to air travel, prompting fresh concerns about staging sporting events in the region.

Both British and American authorities have issued travel warnings for Saudi Arabia, while the Six Kings Slam tennis tournament has already been postponed.

Despite the disruption, Alvarez’s eagerly anticipated clash with Mbilli remains scheduled to go ahead, with the Mexican superstar having already arrived in Riyadh.

Canelo has not fought since suffering a points defeat to Terence Crawford in Las Vegas in September 2025, a loss which ended his reign as undisputed super-middleweight champion.

He will now attempt to reclaim the WBC belt against the undefeated Mbilli, who was elevated to full champion following Crawford’s retirement, in the second bout of Alvarez’s lucrative four-fight agreement with Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh.