Robeisy Ramirez faces Rafael Espinoza in a rematch at Footprint Center in Phoenix, AZ on December 7. The former champion from Cuba looks to take revenge on his Mexican rival and reclaim the WBO featherweight title. The latter makes the second defense of his belt, following a fourth-round TKO against Sergio Chirino Sanchez in June.
Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) dethroned Ramirez (14-2, 9 KOs) by majority decision last December. The Las Vegas-based 30-year-old southpaw rebounded from the defeat in June, scoring a seventh-round TKO against Brandon Leon Benitez.
“In camp [for the first fight], my father got really sick. He almost passed away. That affected me a lot,” Robeisy Ramirez said. “My father is in Cuba, and I can’t go back. I couldn’t visit him in the hospital. So, that affected me greatly.”
“That was not the best version of me in the first fight. And despite that, I was still able to deliver a great show. So, I do not doubt the second fight will be better.”
“He didn’t surprise me in the first fight. We all know how Mexican fighters are. They never give up. But, given my personal issues, I was not in the best condition. Nevertheless, if the judges saw that he deserved the decision, that’s fine.”
“I have characterized myself as a fighter who gets up whenever he is knocked down. I have a champion mentality and will be a champion again.”
“Everyone knows that I am a warrior. And I have the Cuban school of boxing. But as the Mexicans say, I also have the huevos to stand in the center of the ring and go to war.”
“A victory would put me where I belong. We have to see how this fight will unfold, but unification showdowns and fights against the best of the division are always on the table.”
Espinoza and Ramirez battle it out in the co-feature to Emanuel Navarrete vs Oscar Valdez 2. The bouts are live on ESPN.