Boxing’s top star, Canelo Alvarez, will undergo surgery on his elbow Oct. 23 in Orange, California, The Ring has learned.

The Ring broke the news of Alvarez’s pending procedure Monday on “Inside the Ring.” The injury will postpone his planned February return in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for the third of his four-fight deal with Riyadh Season.

Alvarez (62-3-2, 39 KOs) dropped his Ring Magazine super middleweight championship earlier this month via unanimous decision to Terence Crawford in a Las Vegas superfight. The 35-year-old is now expected to return in the second or third quarter of 2026.

"Canelo has been diagnosed with loose bodies in his left elbow," read a statement from Alvarez's team. "After a thorough evaluation and medical consultation with his orthopedic surgeon, he is scheduled to undergo a left elbow arthroscopic procedure to remove the loose bodies.

"Following the procedure, his orthopedic surgeon is recommending the use of a sling for a short period of time. His rehabilitation program is expected to allow a return to light training within 4 to 6 weeks. The prognosis is excellent, and Saúl is anticipated to make a full recovery and return to championship-level boxing.

"We appreciate the continued support from fans and the boxing community during his recovery process."

Alvarez previously underwent surgery twice during his career. In 2018 he had surgery on his right knee. And in 2022 a procedure was performed on his left wrist.

The elbow surgery will be performed by Dr. Steve Mora.

Alvarez is The Ring’s No. 1 super middleweight. The loss to Crawford was his first at 168 pounds and first since he was defeated by Dmitry Bivol in a 175-pound title fight in May 2022.