4:45 AM. The wake-up is brutal, but expected.
Jet lag gives me no rest—and that’s just as well. My mind is clear, my eyes still a little heavy, but the time is mine. I take the opportunity to review a few sequences of Lester Martínez. Every movement, every angle, every habit he might try to replicate tomorrow night. In the hushed silence of my hotel room, the images dance on the screen and the fight plays out for the thousandth time in my head.
Photo: Zuffa Boxing – Mbilli, Dana White, and Martinez
It’s still early. I lace up my running shoes. Outside, Las Vegas is still sleeping. The city is barely awake, the asphalt is cool, and I run, leaving behind me the breath of the desert air. A short 5K that does the body and mind some good.
At 8:15, the day’s mechanics kick in. Off to the Conference Center, the location of the first weigh-in. Christian is already there, punctual as always. He steps on the test scale: slightly under the limit. Perfect. He sips some water while waiting for the official. Meanwhile, the paperwork piles up: forms to sign, signatures to repeat, and the mandatory meeting with the doctor to confirm everything is in order. When the decisive moment arrives, the scale stops at 167 pounds. Clean, precise. Christian is ready.
Photo: Samuel Décarie-Drolet – The meal(s) of the champ…
The tension lifts, and it’s time for a real breakfast. As he likes to say: “After the weigh-in, that’s when the real feast begins.” We head to Blueberry Hill Restaurant and Bakery on Flamingo Road—a Vegas institution. Plates parade in front of Christian; I always wonder how he manages to devour so much after days of restrictions.
But nothing is left to chance: Philippe Gougeon has planned everything—every portion, every calorie. In the morning, it’s hearty. At noon, it will be lighter: bagels, honey, jam. And tonight, after the second weigh-in, a detour to an Italian restaurant for pasta. The goal is clear: refuel, replenish carbs, fill the tank so that tomorrow it overflows with energy. When you consider that for the past five days Christian has had to cut his intake to 100 grams of carbs a day, the strategy behind this culinary marathon becomes clear.
Photo: Boxing Socials – Roy Jones Jr.
In Las Vegas, every step can lead you to a legend. Freddie Roach in a hotel lobby, Roy Jones Jr. greeting fans, Shane Mosley casually chatting with a journalist. Fernando Vargas, Abel Sanchez… All these faces who have written the history of the sweet science gather in this same microcosm. The Mecca of boxing has never lived up to its name more than here.
Late afternoon, it’s time for the second weigh-in at T-Mobile Arena. This one is public. Cameras, microphones, flashbulbs. The atmosphere shifts: it’s no longer private—it’s a show. Latin music, people dancing, cheering—it’s joy, it’s madness! Christian remains calm, but you can feel the stage growing around him. Marc Ramsay doesn’t flinch. He’s in the zone. Focused. Every glance, every gesture is calculated. He knows he can rely on his team—Luc plays chauffeur and hype man. Marc truly is an exceptional coach—one of the greatest. And deep down, I keep thinking: Christian will very likely be his sixth world champion.
Saturday: the real fight.
Photo: Vincent Ethier – Marc Ramsay and Christian Mbilli
