Former undisputed super middleweight world champion boxer Saúl "Canelo" Álvarez will have elbow surgery, delaying his ring return until the second quarter of 2026, sources confirmed to ESPN.
Álvarez, who had been dealing with elbow pain for several weeks, is expected to be sidelined for a minimum of two months, with a potential full return to training in 12 to 15 weeks, sources said.
His surgery is currently scheduled for Oct. 23, sources said.
Ring Magazine was the first to report the news of Álvarez's surgery.
Álvarez, 35, is coming off a unanimous decision loss to Terence Crawford (42-0, 31 KOs) on Sept. 13 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, an event that drew over 70,000 fans. The defeat resulted in the Mexican fighter losing all his super middleweight titles.
Álvarez (63-3-2, 39 KOs) has two more bouts signed with Saudi sports promoter Turki Alalshikh following a win against William Scull in Saudi Arabia on May 4 and the recent loss to Crawford.
According to the original schedule announced by Alalshikh, Álvarez was slated to fight again in February, but the surgery will now alter that timeline, and he isn't expected back in the ring until the second quarter of 2026.
This is the third surgery for Álvarez during his 20-year career after procedures on his right knee in 2018 and on his left wrist in 2022.
ESPN Mexico's Salvador Rodríguez contributed to this report.
