According to Inside The Ring’s Mike Coppinger, the Mexican super middleweight, 35, is going to have elbow surgery which will prevent his return to the ring until later in the year after he lost to Terence Crawford, 38, in their bout earlier this month.

Canelo had signed a four-fight deal with Saudi boxing head Turki Alalshikh for Riyadh Season, though his injury will force him to push back his next bout to the middle of 2026 at the earliest.

Coppinger said in a recent episode of Inside The Ring: “I’m told that he’s going to have elbow surgery.

“[Canelo] was set to return in February in Riyadh for the third fight of that deal. That fight is now gonna be delayed until Q2 or Q3 of 2026.” 

Coppinger’s co-host Max Kellerman then noted that “Q2 or Q3” was between April and September 2026, and theorised Canelo could return on his favoured fighting dates of Cinco de Mayo - May 5, 2026 - or Mexican Independence Day, September 16, 2026.

Canelo had been beaten by Bud by unanimous decision in their Las Vegas bout, but he insisted the loss “does not define [him]”.

Speaking after the fight, Canelo said: “I’m here to take risks, that’s what I came here for, my legacy is there and I’ll stay here. I’m happy to share the ring with great fighters like him, I’ve achieved a lot in boxing and I’ve taken the risks.

“I feel good, I feel strong, Crawford was a great fighter, but I feel the same as always. A defeat does not define me, I have already won.

“I’m happy, it was a great night for me, my career will continue, I’m happy for everything that happened tonight.”

Canelo added he had done everything that he had his team had “planned” during the match.

He said: “It was a great fight, everyone saw it, I prepared well and we came out winners. The strategy was worked out like that, we did what was planned.”