ESPN

Oct 29, 2026, 07:32 AM ET

Ahead of his Oct. 31 title fight against Christian Mbilli, Canelo Alvarez moved his training camp from sunny San Diego to former heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk's gym in Gandia, a coastal city near Valencia, Spain.

With the fight taking place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Canelo (63-3-2, 39 KOs) wanted to train closer to the local time zone. Gandia is just one hour behind Riyadh, compared with the 10-hour time difference between Saudi Arabia and San Diego.

Canelo is looking to reclaim the WBC super middleweight title he lost to Terence Crawford in September 2025 and get back to winning ways.

In an exclusive interview with ESPN Deportes editor Ernesto Rodarte at Usyk's gym Sept. 29, Canelo discussed his upcoming fight, the differences in his training and preparation, and his plans for retirement after more than 20 years in professional boxing.

Editor's note: Content has been edited for brevity and clarity.

Q: It's been more than a year since you fought Crawford.…