Report: Canelo Alvarez out until mid-2026 after undergoing major surgery following Terence Crawford fight

Former super middleweight titleholder Canelo Alvarez will undergo a long hiatus from competition due to injury following his loss to Terence Crawford.

Canelo Alvarez’s time atop the super middleweight division came to a stunning halt as he lost to Terence Crawford in their superfight earlier this month in Las Vegas. In one of the biggest boxing matchups in recent years, Crawford outpointed Alvarez unanimously to earn the reigning champ’s super middleweight belts.

It was a stunning result as Crawford, who moved up several weight classes to make the Alvarez fight come to fruition, outclassed Alvarez and pulled off the upset. Crawford’s next opponent/return timeline is uncertain as of this writing.

A potential rematch between Alvarez and Crawford was briefly teased after their superfight earlier this month. But on Monday, big news was shared that will significantly impact the timeline for a Crawford/Alvarez sequel.

Canelo Alvarez undergoes major elbow surgery following Terence Crawford loss

Alvarez was supposed to return to the ring against a to-be-announced opponent in February as a part of his deal with Riyadh Season, but the third fight of the contract will now be postponed. An announcement regarding Alvarez’s formal return opponent, date, and location is expected to be shared in the coming months.

Alvarez will undergo elbow surgery, as shared by Turki Alalshikh, following his loss to Crawford earlier this month.

Boxing journalist Mike Coppinger was the first to report the news of Alvarez’s medical status. Coppinger also shared that Alvarez’s eventual return fight will likely occur in Riyadh.

Alvarez’s tentative targeted return will take place anywhere from April to September 2026, assuming the surgery is successful and there aren’t any post-procedure setbacks. This will mark one of the longest medical-related hiatuses of Alvarez’s career.

Before the loss to Crawford, Alvarez won six consecutive fights, including decisive victories over Gennady Golovkin and Jermell Charlo. The Crawford matchup came to fruition after Alvarez put on a lackluster performance in a win over William Scull in May.

Amid Alvarez’s absence, Riyadh Season could potentially book Crawford against David Benavidez to move the super middleweight division forward.