After nabbing a world title at 168-pounds, Gilberto Ramirez was anxious to repeat his championship feat as a full-fledged light heavyweight. But since making his 175-pound debut against Tommy Karpency in 2019, Ramirez grew agitated as his perpetual callouts fell on deaf ears.
Ultimately, after racking up five consecutive knockout victories, Ramirez will be given the opportunity to compete for the WBA light heavyweight title when he takes on current belt holder, Dmitry Bivol.
Officially, the two will square off on November 5th, at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. In the eyes of many, it would appear as though Bivol (20-0, 11 KOs) will represent his sternest test. However, despite handing Canelo Alvarez only the second loss of his career just a few short months ago, and regardless of his overall skillset, Ramirez isn't convinced that Bivol should be considered the best opponent he’s ever faced.
“Not really,” said Ramirez during an interview with FightHype.com when asked if Bivol is the best fighter he’s taken on. “I been in the ring with so many good fighters. I think this is really important for me because it’s a title fight but I been with really good fighters too.”
Often criticized for his level of opposition over the years, Ramirez has registered wins against the likes of Sullivan Barrera, Jesse Hart, and Arthur Abraham. Yet, in spite of his glistening record that sits at a perfect 44-0, for the first time in his respected career, Ramirez will step into the ring as a heavy underdog.
Bivol, as previously mentioned, stood defiantly in the way of Canelo Alvarez and his quest to regain a world title at 175-pounds. By and large, Bivol outboxed the pound-for-pound star, using perpetual movement and a consistent jab to bank rounds.
Having shared the ring with Bivol in years past during heated sparring sessions, Ramirez admits that indulging in a tactical boxing match with the Russian native wouldn't be in his best interest. However, while he wouldn’t go into complete details about the approach he intends on taking, Ramirez did reveal that he expects to push the pace from the opening bell.
“I think I have to make an exciting fight, going forward all the time and throw a lot of punches. It will be an exciting fight.”
