A family plan that never left the ground
Christian Mbilli will walk out for the biggest night of his career with almost nobody from home in the building. His family booked flights and hotel rooms weeks ago. Then Air France cancelled the flight in mid-October and, according to Mbilli’s former coach Eric Godey, stopped serving Riyadh altogether.
Godey was supposed to travel with the fighter’s father. Instead they will watch from France. The father plans to follow the WBC title fight against Canelo Alvarez from his home in western France, while Godey is hosting a screening on Saturday at a former cinema in Montargis, where Mbilli lived for several years.
The reason, as RMC Sport reports, is repeated attacks on the Saudi capital’s airport and an unstable security picture. King Khalid International alternates between closures and partial reopenings depending on the alerts. Routes through Dubai or Abu Dhabi were considered, but nobody could guarantee a connection into Riyadh. Mbilli himself told his people not to take the risk.
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One man making the trip anyway
John Dovi, the former French national team coach and Mbilli’s mentor throughout his pro career, is the lone exception. He had three flights cancelled this week, then flew to Bahrain on Thursday with a plan to rent a car and cross the Saudi border by road.
The wider picture is thin too. Major French outlets could not get to Riyadh and will cover the fight from Paris, while Emirati and Mexican reporters are on site. Many American fans have cancelled, and the US embassy has advised its citizens to avoid travel in the region, RMC says.
For Mbilli, that means a world title shot at Kingdom Arena in front of a smaller, quieter crowd than anyone planned for.
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