In just a week, something remarkable will happen. Either Dmitry Bivol or Gilberto Ramirez will be see their record add defeated for the first time in their careers
Both fighters head to the Etihad Arena in Dubai next weekend to compete for the WBA World Light Heavyweight Title, with each man carrying an undefeated record. Will it be the powerful Russian or the wily Mexican who walks away victorious? We look at each fighter’s chances ahead of this matchup.
Dmitry Bivol vs Gilberto Ramirez: Bivol And Ramirez Head Into Their Title Fight With Undefeated Record
Dmitry Bivol Looks to Defend Title
For more than six years now, Dmitry Bivol has been the WBA light heavyweight champion.
The belt was given to Bivol in 2016 when he became the interim holder after dominating Felix Valera on the scorecard in a 12-round decision. Since then, he has become the full holder of the belt and successfully defended it 12 times, including a hugely impressive win over the renowned boxer Canelo Alvarez. Having debuted in 2014, Bivol’s professional record now sits at 20-0-0, with 11 wins by knockout.
Heading into the fight against Ramirez, Bivol will be eager to extend his winning streak to 21 and retain his WBA light heavyweight belt. The fight poses an exciting challenge for Bivol and will be the second clash in a row where he faces off against a quality fighter from a lower weight class, who is making the step up.
Ramirez Eager to Prove He Has What it Takes at Light Heavyweight
While Bivol has an impressive professional record, it pales in comparison to that of Gilberto Ramirez.
The 31-year-old Mexican debuted as a professional boxer in 2009, and since then has accrued a whopping 44 wins for no losses. With 30 of Ramirez’s wins coming by way of knockout, the fighter has proved himself to be an intimidating force in the boxing ring. The majority of Ramirez’s fights have occurred at the super middleweight level, with boxing history being made when Ramirez became the first Mexican to claim the WBO Super Middleweight Title. This title was successfully defended five times.
In 2019, Ramirez made the step up in weight class to fight as a light heavyweight, debuting against Tommy Karpency. He won the fight by retirement, going on to claim the NASF Light Heavyweight Title soon after. Recently, the 31-year-old has knocked out Yunieski Gonzalez and Dominic Boesel and heads into this match against Bivol high on confidence.
Bivol the Favorite Heading Into Title Clash
While both men have impressive histories, Bivol heads into this match-up the strong favorite.
Many bookmakers can be found through https://betting.com/ that have Bivol as a 1.20 (-500) favorite. While it might be a good idea to bet on the favorite, there will be more money to win if Ramirez gives Bivol a run for his money. This strong support in favor of the Russian fighter is primarily due to the quality of opposition he has defeated recently, as well as his greater experience at the light heavyweight level. Bivol’s recent victory over Canelo Alvarez cannot be underestimated, with Alvarez likely to go down in history as one of the world’s best pound-for-pound fighters.
Chances are Bivol will be the one who walks away from this fight undefeated, however, Ramirez won’t go down without a fight. With a record of 44-0-0, expect the Mexican to have a few tricks up his sleeve before ultimately conceding the first blemish on his record.
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