- Boxing odds: Canelo Alvarez -700 favorite / Ilunga Makabu +500 underdog.
- Canelo aims to become a five-weight world champion with a win over Makabu.
- Boxing fans are more familiar with Ilunga Makabu losing by KO to Tony Bellew in 2016.
The WBC has approved Canelo Alvarez’s next fight at Cruiserweight. The undisputed middleweight champion will take on Junior Ilunga Makabu next May. This fight came as a surprise to many who were expecting Canelo to take on a bigger challenger closer to his own weight class.
Canelo Alvarez vs Ilunga Makabu Odds
| Boxer | Odds |
| Saul “Canelo” Alvarez | -700 |
| Ilunga Makabu | +500 |
According to the opening Canelo Alvarez vs Ilunga Makabu Odds, Canelo has a clear advantage here where a $700 bet would profit $100. That’s an early implied win probability of 87.5% for the Mexican.
Meanwhile, his opponent Ilunga Makabu (28-2-0, 25 KOs) is on a nine-fight win streak since his last loss in 2016. You can wager $100 on Makabu at these early odds to net $500 on the chance of an upset. Track the latest odds movement via these sports betting sites.
While, Makabu waits for this fight to be finalized. Canelo is now set to face Dmitry Bivol, with current odds favoring Canelo over Bivol.
Betting on Canelo vs Makabu
Makabu is currently ranked third in the cruiserweight division by Ring Magazine. IBF champ Mairis Briedis ranks first, and Yuniel Dorticos, who also holds a belt from being second-ranked champion of WBA.
Canelo is coming off an 11th round TKO win over Caleb Plant. That’s three TKO wins in a row for Canelo, who has become a force to be reckoned with in boxing. Once the betting odds are released for Canelo by finish, I’ll be covering those in our boxing section and most likely putting a wager down.
Makabu has been knocked out twice in his career. Once in his debut and then again by Liverpool’s own Tony Bellew. He has been hailed as a hero for bringing boxing back to the Congo, but his style falls right into the hands of the top Cruiserweights and Canelo for that matter too.
Canelo Comes Under Heat
After a handful of decent fights from Canelo we are back to seeing a lesser-known opponent; that will be a huge payday and a chance to become a five-weight world champion. I’m a massive Canelo fan – but I’d rather him fight less and take on some more worthy fights, such as these opponents, Mairis Briedis who called out Canelo recently, David Benavidez, Artur Beterbiev, Jermall Charlo, Artur Beterbiev or Demetrius Andrade.
Let’s be real this isn’t a great look for Canelo who called Demetrius Andrade a “Horrible fighter”, yet Makabu at Cruiserweight gets a shot. That being said, if Canelo stays at the upper weight classes and continues to test himself he will prove the doubters wrong.
“The WBC has approved unanimously Canelo to fight for the WBC cruiserweight championship,” president Mauricio Sulaiman said.
“This is a surprise to me but I’m sure he will continue to make history.”
Moving up in weight does possess a certain amount of risk, albeit on who your opponent is. This is a perfect stepping stone for Canelo’s team who can strategically place him at Cruiserweight and test the waters for his next move, whole snatching another world title.
When Evander Holyfield moved up from Cruiserweight to Heavyweight, he took on James Tony, Lennox Lewis, and Buster Douglas. The same with Roy Jones Jr when he moves up to take on John Ruiz. These are all exceptional boxers that aim for greatness and are really not on the same page as Canelo vs Makabu.
What are your thoughts on this bout? Please comment below on who else you think Canelo will face next year.
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