Delgado Stranded Stateside as IBF Title Fight on Canelo Card Hangs in the Balance
Lindolfo Delgado still has no flight to Riyadh with less than a week until his IBF junior welterweight title fight.
An IBF world title fight on the biggest boxing card of the fall is in serious danger of falling apart, and the problem is not injuries or failed negotiations. Lindolfo Delgado simply cannot get to Saudi Arabia.
Delgado is scheduled to fight Arthur Biyarslanov for the vacant IBF junior welterweight title on October 31 in Riyadh, on the undercard of Canelo Alvarez vs. Christian Mbilli. With less than a week until fight night, Delgado, his trainer Robert Garcia, and the rest of their team still lack flight itineraries, per Dan Rafael.
Biyarslanov, meanwhile, has already arrived in Riyadh. He traveled alongside promotional teammate Mbilli via an alternate route, according to BoxingScene. He is in camp and preparing for the biggest fight of his career.
Garcia declined to address Delgado's travel situation when asked, as he was returning from Albert Gonzalez's win in San Antonio over the weekend. An insider told Rafael the fight's chances are "probably not" at this point, though no official pullout has been announced.
The stakes are real. The IBF junior welterweight title is vacant, and both fighters have worked toward this opportunity for years. Biyarslanov, a Canadian-based fighter originally from Chechnya, earned his mandatory position through consistent work in the division. Delgado, trained by Garcia out of California, was positioned as the opponent who could make this a competitive title fight.
If Delgado cannot reach Riyadh in time, the IBF would need to either reschedule or find a replacement opponent on short notice. Neither option is ideal for a card of this magnitude.
This is embarrassing for everyone involved. You have a world title fight on one of the biggest cards of the year, and the challenger cannot get on a plane. We are not talking about a visa denial or a failed drug test. We are talking about logistics. Somebody dropped the ball on booking travel for a professional fighter headed to a fight in Riyadh.
Biyarslanov did the smart thing and got himself there early. Good for him. But if this fight falls apart because of a travel screwup, the IBF needs to have a serious conversation with the promoters about how this was handled. You do not leave a title fight to chance six days out.
