Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez successfully defended his cruiserweight championship belts despite a cautious beginning against former titleholder Yuniel Dorticos.
This fight, serving as the main support event for the Jake Paul-Julio Cesar Chavez Jr card at the Honda Center, didn`t feature the spectacular knockout finishes seen in previous matches. However, Ramirez likely isn`t concerned, as his disciplined, businesslike effort secured a points victory for the 34-year-old over his 39-year-old adversary.
Following the initial four rounds, some might have argued that Dorticos held a 3-1 lead on the scorecards. Ramirez, with a record of 48-1 (30 KOs), appeared sluggish initially and was pressured by the aggressive Cuban, who threw punches frequently. Nevertheless, Dorticos repeatedly attracted the attention of referee Ray Corona due to low blows, for which he received warnings starting in the third round.
The fifth round saw the WBA and WBO unified champion come alive with a four-punch combination, initiating a significantly more dominant three minutes. Dorticos, whose record stood at 27-3 (25 KOs), proved resilient, continuing to land shots on Ramirez. However, the Mexican never seemed truly threatened or close to being stopped by the fighter known as the ‘KO Doctor’. Growing in confidence and looking comfortable, Ramirez began engaging his opponent in close quarters starting from the seventh round, gradually diminishing Dorticos`s prospects.
Ramirez persisted in breaking down Dorticos, who noticeably tired in the later rounds. The veteran fighter`s repeated low blows finally resulted in a penalty in the tenth round when referee Corona deducted a point.
‘Zurdo’ demonstrated improved defensive skills in the eleventh round, effectively evading more of Dorticos’s punches. He used the final six minutes to safely conclude his mandatory title defense. In the twelfth and final round, Ramirez landed more shots to convincingly finish the fight, making Dorticos miss and appear his 39 years of age. Following the full twelve rounds, Ramirez was awarded the victory on all three judges’ scorecards with tallies of 115-112 (twice) and 117-110.
Speaking with DAZN`s Ariel Helwani after the bout, Ramirez stated his desire to challenge IBF champion Jai Opetaia next.
“That`s the fight I`m aiming for,” he declared.
