Canelo Alvarez and Callum Smith weighed in at the Grand Hyatt hotel in San Antonio, Texas, on Friday morning for their much-anticipated super middleweight championship fight Saturday from the Alamodome, which will be streamed live on DAZN.

As expected, both made the 168-pound limit.

The 30-year-old Alvarez (53-1-2, 36 knockouts) came in at 168, as did Ring Magazine and WBA “super” 168-pound world champion Smith (27-0, 19 KOs).

The fight will also be for the vacant WBC title. The WBC declared that the winner is mandated to make a title defense against Turkey’s Avni Yildirim (21-2, 12 KOs) within 90 days of Saturday’s title fight night or face being stripped of the WBC title.

Alvarez is coming off a career-long 13-month layoff between fights due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s been very difficult and it’s been a very difficult year for everybody, and we must adapt,” Alvarez said. “It’s been difficult for me not to be in the ring, and we’re here now and this is just a day away, so this is a very good thing.

“Callum Smith is the best here (at 168) and is very good at what he does here. This is why we’re here. I know he’s a tall fighter (6-foot-3), I know he’s a strong fighter. He has very good qualities, but I too have very good qualities and I know it’s going to be a great fight.”

In December 2018, Alvarez won the secondary version of the WBA 168-pound title with a third-round stoppage over Rocky Fielding at Madison Square Garden. Smith, who is also 30, possesses the the WBA “super” title and had stopped Fielding in the first round in 2015 in Liverpool, England.

“It feels great (to unify),” Smith said. “I have to fight to my stance. I know the fight will not be at my distance for the full 12 rounds. It excites me and it should excite the fans. I have to do what I do. I’m a world champion and I have to treat him like my 27 previous opponents.”

Official results

Super middleweights 12 rounds for the Ring Magazine, WBA super and vacant WBC titles

Canelo Alvarez (53-1-2, 36 KOs), 168 pounds vs. Callum Smith (27-0, 19 KOs), 168 pounds

Heavyweights 10 rounds

Frank Sanchez (16-0, 12 KOs), 229 pounds vs. Julian Fernandez (14-2, 11 KOs), 209.2 pounds

Junior lightweights 6 rounds

Raymond Ford (7-0, 3 KOs), 128.6 pounds vs. Juan Antonio Lopez (15-7, 6 KOs), Dallas, 129.2 pounds

Middleweights 6 rounds

Austin Williams (6-0, 5 KOs), 159.4 pounds vs. Isiah Jones (9-3, 3 KOs), Detroit, 157 pounds

Junior lightweights 4 rounds

Marc Castro (pro debut), 130.6 pounds vs. Luis Javier Valdez (7-5-1, 2 KOs), 128.8 pounds

Joseph Santoliquito is an award-winning sportswriter who has been working for Ring Magazine/RingTV.com since October 1997 and is the president of the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be followed on twitter @JSantoliquito.

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