Report: DAZN Crew Likely to Call Canelo-Mbilli From a London Studio if Riyadh Card Goes Ahead

If Canelo Alvarez and Christian Mbilli fight as planned on Oct. 31 in Riyadh, the people calling it on DAZN probably won't be in the building.

Dan Rafael reported Wednesday evening, citing sources, that if the card goes forward, the likelihood is that DAZN's broadcast team will not be ringside at Kingdom Arena. Instead, the crew would call the show remotely from a studio in London.

DAZN has not announced any change to its production plans, and the fight remains officially on. Turki Alalshikh has already posted the fight-week schedule, with grand arrivals on Oct. 28, press conferences on Oct. 29, the ceremonial weigh-in on Oct. 30 and fight night on Oct. 31, according to BoxingInsider.

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The report lands on the same day the U.S. State Department ordered non-emergency government staff and their families out of Saudi Arabia, citing Houthi attacks on civilian airports and other infrastructure. Boxbid covered that order earlier Wednesday.

Undercard travel is still unsettled

Not everyone on the card has the same travel picture as the headliner. BoxingScene reported Wednesday that trainer Robert Garcia says his team, including Lindolfo Delgado, has yet to receive flight details for the trip. Delgado is scheduled to face Arthur Biyarslanov for the vacant IBF junior welterweight title on the undercard.

Garcia first raised the issue on Sunday, telling reporter Elie Seckbach that Canelo's team would fly private while his group would have to use the commercial airport, as Yahoo Sports reported. Garcia has not said Delgado is pulling out, and Top Rank, which promotes Delgado, has not commented publicly.

Canelo, for his part, is reportedly set on going through with it. BoxingScene, citing a source on its BoxingScene Today show, reported that Alvarez is determined to proceed on Oct. 31 despite the security concerns.

What's at stake

Mbilli makes the first defense of the WBC super middleweight title, and Canelo is trying to win back a belt he held for years. The WBC's Mauricio Sulaiman has said he plans to be ringside, per Combat Sports UK.

Boxbid will keep tracking any change to the date, the venue or the card. If you want to call the night yourself, the card is a good one for Fight Picker once picks open.