Canelo Alvarez will still fight Christian Mbilli on October 31st in Saudi Arabia, despite the recent escalation in attacks on the country by Houthis from neighboring Yemen.
On Saturday October 10th, King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh was bombed, resulting in 13 deaths and over 300 people wounded. A second attack on the airport occurred a day later, killing one more and injuring dozens.
These are just the latest attacks as part of a new offensive from Houthis in Yemen who are actively bombing Saudi Arabian oil infrastructure, airports, and other targets of value.
The war between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis has gotten very hot, but that won’t stop boxing legend Canelo from entering the country to fight Mbilli in three weeks, according to Saudi boxing power broker Turki Alalshikh.
“Canelo reached out and told me he’ll still fight in Riyadh this October, no matter what happens,” Turki wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “He fears nothing.”
“My country is home to the two Holy Mosques, land of peace, safety, rich civilization, deep history, and kind-hearted people. Thank you to everyone who checked in and showed support. Hard times reveal true friends.”
We’ll see who has similar resolve over the coming weeks as WWE’s Crown Jewel takes place on November 7th and UFC Saudi Arabia is currently pencilled in for December 5th. The U.S. Embassy and Consulate in Saudi Arabia has raised their travel advisory to level three, which is ‘Reconsider travel.’