To be honest with you, this wasn’t the outcome we had dreamed of.
We always hope for victory—we chase it like a mirage. But sometimes, in this sport, what you gain isn’t measured in points, but in respect. And that night, Christian earned a lot of it.
Martinez… His name may not have meant much to the general public, but we knew exactly who he was. A raw, sharp diamond, shaped by one of boxing’s greatest minds: BoMac, the strategist behind Terence Crawford. We knew this would be the toughest, most demanding fight of Mbilli’s career. We also knew it would be spectacular. We weren’t wrong: it was a Gatti-Ward-style war, the kind of battle that defines a career and feeds legends.
Photo: UFC Canada – Christian Mbilli
Behind the Scenes
We left the hotel at 3:15 p.m. Destination: Allegiant Stadium. A modern fortress where everything runs like clockwork. Once we arrived, the organization took over with near-military precision. Movement was restricted—so much so that even Camille Estephan wasn’t able to see Christian before the fight… or even afterward.
Our dressing room was the one used by the UNLV Rebels—a large, well-equipped space. Several screens were showing the earlier fights, and under the constant supervision of commission officials, everyone focused on their tasks. We shared the space with four other warriors: Serhii Bohachuk, Reito Tsutsumi, Yvan Dychko, and Mohammad Alakel. The atmosphere was relaxed at first, marked by the comings and goings of cameras and journalists. But as the moment approached, everyone slipped into their own world. Silence settled in—heavy, almost sacred.
Meanwhile, the stadium slowly began to fill. Empty at first, it transformed into a volcano. Wave after wave, the stands darkened with fans until Allegiant became a furnace. And when Christian stepped through the curtain, the arena erupted. Nearly 70,000 eyes locked on him as he made his way to the ring. A long-awaited moment where the boxer feels a rush of adrenaline that words can’t describe.
Photo: Zuffa Boxing – Marc Ramsay, Samuel Décarie-Drolet, Christian Mbilli, Shawn Collinson (behind the belt) and Luc-Vincent Ouellet
The Fight
And then the bells rang. The duel began like a violent dance, a brutal embrace between two men refusing to give an inch. Each round brought its share of emotions, each minute required adjustments. We tweaked our strategy, and Martinez’s team countered instantly. It was a game of chess played with fists, a crossfire of attacks and counters. Impossible to remain indifferent. It was a fight that was hard to judge, breathless, a spectacle that left me speechless from how much I screamed.
Emotions surged in waves. The audience held its breath, then exploded in a single roar. It was gripping, brutal, sublime. The kind of fight that reminds you why we love boxing, why it’s called the noble art.
Photo: Zuffa Boxing – Christian Mbilli vs Lester Martinez
After the Storm
In the locker room, the lights had dimmed. The crowd’s roar had faded. All that remained were heavy breaths and battered bodies. Christian’s face bore the marks of war—bruised, swollen, a witness to the hundreds of punches he had absorbed. Despite the performance, despite the intensity, he looked disappointed.
Disappointed, because Christian is not the kind of man who settles for a draw. He wanted the win. He had worked too hard, sacrificed too much to aim for anything less than the top.
But it must be said: he deserves the warrior’s rest. Time off, silence, a moment to heal. He’ll be back. Hungrier. More determined. Stronger. Because this fight wasn’t the end—it was just another step forward on a path built from sweat, pain, and discipline.
Photo: Zuffa Boxing – Lester Martinez and Christian Mbilli…
Conclusion to This Journal
As for me, I’m proud. Proud of my team. Proud of Christian, of everything he represents. Hardworking, humble, exemplary. He may not have gotten the victory he hoped for, but he earned the eternal respect of everyone who saw that fight.
On the night of the fight, in front of nearly 70,000 roaring spectators and millions of viewers around the world, Christian Mbilli delivered not just a fight—but an epic. A battle that will remain etched in the memory of this sport.
And in the eye of the storm, he proved he’s made of the same substance as the legends. To me, Christian already belongs among the greats, because I look at the full body of work—I don’t judge a man by a single moment in time.
I hope you enjoyed this travel journal. It was a pleasure to share with you a glimpse of what few people truly get to witness.
Photo: Zuffa Boxing – Christian ‘Solide’ Mbilli
