Canelo Alvarez 2026 return delayed by elbow surgery after loss to Terence Crawford, per reports

Canelo Alvarez will need time to rebound from his loss to Terence Crawford after undergoing elbow surgery that is expected to keep him out of action until at least April 2026, according to multiple reports. Alvarez, 35, will require at least two months to recover from the surgery and won’t resume proper training for 12 to 15 weeks. A return to action is targeted for the second quarter of next year. 

Alvarez reportedly dealt with elbow pain for several weeks before the surgery.  

Alvarez recently lost his undisputed super middleweight championship to Crawford via unanimous decision as “Bud” became the first three-division undisputed boxing champion of the four-belt era. It was Alvarez’s first loss since faltering against Dmitry Bivol in 2022. 

The Sept. 13 fight, which took place at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium, was the first Zuffa Boxing event promoted by UFC CEO Dana White. Zuffa recently announced an exclusive long-term media rights deal with Paramount+, which will bring 12 events to the streaming service next year.

Alvarez has two more bouts signed with Saudi sports promoter Turk Alalshikh, but his surgery will surely delay previous plans to fight in February.