Light-heavyweight contender Albert Ramirez’s first fight of 2026 is intended to follow up on his last fight of 2025, in which he won the WBA interim title.

Ramirez, 22-0 (19 KOs), will headline on February 5 at the Cabaret du Casino de Montreal in Quebec, Canada, against an opponent yet to be named, according to promoter Eye of the Tiger.

“We have no doubt that Albert Ramirez has everything it takes to collect several more belts,” said Camille Estephen of Eye of the Tiger. “From his very first world title defense, we intend to send a clear message to the light-heavyweight division – and with the opponent we’ll be announcing shortly, I can assure you that message will be heard.”

After Terence Crawford Feud, Are Sanctioning Bodies Bad For Boxing?

In today’s episode, the crew breaks down one of boxing’s biggest debates after Terence Crawford went on his Instagram to complain about the WBC. Are sanctioning bodies simply part of the game, or have they completely lost control of the sport? We also take a hard look at the Ring title and ask whether it can still be considered legitimate if champions are not required to defend it.

Thursday | Dec 4, 2025

Ramirez is a 33-year-old from Venezuela who competed in the 2016 Olympics, making it to the second round of the light-heavyweight tournament. As a pro, in August, he won the WBA belt with a seventh-round TKO of the 19-2 Jerome Pampellone. 

“After winning this belt far from home, in Libya, I feel privileged to be able to defend it in Montreal, where I feel at home and where boxing fans always welcome me as such,” Ramirez said.

Ramirez’s interim WBA title falls behind primary titleholder Dmitry Bivol and secondary titlist David Benavidez. Bivol is the lineal champion and also owns the IBF and WBO titles. Benavidez is the primary WBC titleholder but is moving up to cruiserweight to challenge Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez for a pair of world titles.

The show is also slated to feature several other Eye of the Tiger fighters against foes still to be announced: lightweight Dzmitry Asanau, 11-0 (5 KOs); junior welterweight Arthur Biyarslanov, 20-0 (16 KOs); light heavyweight Mehmet Unal, 20-0 (12 KOs); junior welterweight Wyatt Sanford, 5-0 (2 KOs); junior lightweight Thomas Chabot, 11-1 (8 KOs); and junior lightweight Erik Israyelyan, 4-0 (2 KOs).

Asanau, Biyarslanov, Unal and Sanford are also Olympians. Asanau made it to the second round of the bantamweight tournament in 2016; Biyarslanov and Unal respectively had the same result in that year’s junior-welterweight and light-heavyweight brackets; Sanford earned lightweight bronze in 2024.

David Greisman, who has covered boxing since 2004, is on Twitter @FightingWords2. David’s book, “Fighting Words: The Heart and Heartbreak of Boxing,” is available on Amazon.