Former undisputed super middleweight world champion Saul “Canelo” Álvarez has undergone 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.

Ring Magazine was the first to report the news of Álvarez’s surgery.

‘Canelo’, 35, is coming off a unanimous decision loss to Terence Crawford (42-0, 31 KOs) on September 13 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, an event that drew over 70,000 fans. The defeat resulted in the Mexican boxer losing all his super middleweight titles.

Álvarez (63-3-2, 39 KOs) currently has two more fights signed with Saudi sports promoter Turki Alalshikh, following his 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 of next year, but the recent surgery will now alter that timeline and he’s not expected back in the ring until the second quarter of 2026.

This is the third surgery for Álvarez during his 20-year career. He previously underwent surgery on his right knee in 2018 and a procedure on his left wrist in 2022.

ESPN Mexico’s Salvador Rodríguez contributed to this report.