Nick Peet: Bivol vs Ramirez preview

TWO champions. Two unbeaten records. One goal: making the ringwalk for a legacy-defining light-heavyweight unification fight in 2023.

Dmitry Bivol, the man who beat the man, puts his 175lb world title on the line against former super-middleweight champ Gilberto Ramirez out in Abu Dhabi on Saturday night, where one man’s perfect record will also be counted out.

Six months on from dismantling pay-per-view star ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, Russian Bivol, 31, should be just one more Mexican scalp away from sealing a lucrative unification fight.

Bivol’s countryman Artur Beterbiev – who is pencilled in for his own unofficial semi-final, defending his championship belts against #1 ranked Anthony Yarde in January – likely awaits Saturday’s victor.

But who that is remains far from a forgone conclusion.

Ramirez, also 31, has lofty ambitions of his own, namely becoming a two-weight world champion, and has looked hugely impressive since moving up from 12-stone.

The Mexican southpaw cut short his world championship reign in 2019 to patiently rack up five straight knockouts at light-heavyweight enroute to the UAE.

His 44-0 record is a little padded, of course, but there is no getting away from the skills of the Mexican, who utilises every inch of his six-foot-two height and 75-inch his reach to dictate range and hammer away to the body.

FACE OFF 👀@bivol_d vs @ZurdoRamirezz 🔥

WBA World Light-Heavyweight Title on the line #InAbuDhabi 👑#BivolZurdo pic.twitter.com/tbc9YYwRGo

— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) November 3, 2022

Bivol’s 20-0 record is supported by an accomplished 100-fight-plus international amateur career, but by far and away his biggest win came in May when he comprehensively outboxed Canelo in Las Vegas.

As good as that display was, however, it was also Bivol’s seventh consecutive points decision, suggesting the power he displayed whilst running up 11 knockouts in his first 13 wins hasn’t carried into championship class.

Yet whilst the power (68% career KO’s) certainly lies with Ramirez, technically Bivol has the edge. He masters range expertly thanks to fancy footwork and a fast, snappy jab. Then throws sharp and accurate, well-balanced combinations effortlessly.

It’s the output and accuracy of Bivol that ultimately led to Alvarez’s downfall and I can see the same thing happening for large periods of this fight.

But, if the taller Ramirez can move his feet quick enough to time his counters, the champion could be picking himself up off the canvas early.

Expect Bivol to continue where he left off against Canelo, throwing measured punches in bunches. But Ramirez won’t surrender his ‘O’ without a fight and will be forced to really open up after slipping behind on the scorecards.

If Bivol can survive Ramirez’s mid-fight barrage he’s got the quality to dance his way to the final bell and pick up a close but deserving points victory.

TIP: Bivol on Points (11/20)

 

* Don’t miss the likely fight of the night out in Abu Dhabi either, where Britain’s Chantelle Cameron takes on American Jessica McCaskill in an all-the-marbles unification clash in the women’s super-lightweight division that stylistically cannot miss.

With a potential Croke Park fight against Katie Taylor on the table from the winner, this tumultuous 10-rounder should produce the fireworks deserving of the date.