Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez approaches his fight against Chris Billam-Smith on November 16 at The Venue in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Mexico’s two-division world champion puts his WBA cruiserweight title on the line, while his British opponent brings to the ring his WBO 200 lbs belt. The unification bout tops the “Latino Night” card.
Former super middleweight champion, Ramirez (46-1, 30 KOs) looks to claim the strap against Billam-Smith (20-1, 13 KOs) and challenge for the undisputed title. Jai Opetaia (26-0, 20 KOs) of Australia is a reigning IBF champion at cruiserweight. Armenia’s Norair Mikaeljan (27-2, 12 KOs) currently holds the division’s WBC belt.
“Chris Billam-Smith is a world champion for a reason,” Ramirez said. “He brings a well-rounded mix of power, resilience and technical skill into the ring. His physical strength is a key weapon, allowing him to break-down opponents with heavy body shots and powerful punches.”
“Technically, Billam-Smith uses his jab and footwork effectively to control the pace and distance of the fight, often dictating the action. His stamina is another strong asset, enabling him to sustain pressure throughout the later rounds.”
“I expect a tough, challenging fight against him. He has a lot of heart in the ring. I know he brings his best every time, and I don’t take anything for granted. I’ve prepared for a hard battle, and I respect what he brings as a fighter.”
Prior to making a move up to heavyweight, the Mazatlan, Sinaloa native also targets to land a title at 224 lbs, which is a bridgerweight championship sanctioned by WBC and WBA.
“My main focus is to become the undisputed world cruiserweight champion before moving up again. Before the heavyweight division, though, I’d also like to get the bridgerweight belt. But Saturday’s fight has a lot on the line and it’s going to be very challenging.”
“Chris Billam-Smith has all my respect, and I expect him to bring his best that night. I’ve prepared for war and will leave everything I have in the ring to have my hand raised in victory.”
Among the Ramirez vs Billam-Smith undercard bouts, unbeaten Arnold Barboza Jr (30-0, 11 KOs) of Long Beach, CA goes up against former unified light welterweight champion Jose Ramirez (29-1, 18 KOs) of Hanford, CA. The pair squares off in a WBO super lightweight title eliminator.
As well, Philadelphia’s former world champion Tevin Farmer (33-6-1, 8 KOs) takes on unbeaten Mexican William Zepeda (31-0, 27 KOs) at lightweight. Plus, WBO flyweight champion Oscar Collazo (10-0, 7 KOs) of Puerto Rico and WBA titleholder Knockout CP Freshmart (25-0, 9 KOs) of Thailand meet in a 105-pound championship unification.
In addition, LA-based Botirzhon Akhmedov (10-3, 9 KOs) of Uzbekistan and Oscar Duarte (27-2-1, 22 KOs) of Mexico clash at super lightweight. The event opener is a welterweight bout between Ziyad Almaayouf (6-0, 1 KOs) of Saudi Arabia and Juan Carlos Ramirez Garcia (5-6) of Mexico.