Jose Ramirez will finally defend his unified WBC and WBO Light-Welterweight titles against Viktor Postol on August 29 in Las Vegas on ESPN+
The pair have seen two scheduled dates cancelled on February 2 in China and May 9 in California, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, although the showdown will now take place inside ‘The Bubble,’ as Top Rank resume inside the MGM Grand Conference Center.
Ramirez (25-0, 17 KOs) added the WBO belt to his collection with a sixth round stoppage over Maurice Hooker in his last fight in July 2019 and can edge closer to an undisputed fight with Josh Taylor, who holds the WBA, IBF and Ring Magazine titles.
“I’m excited to finally be back. It’s always an honor stepping into the ring, fighting a guy like Postol and defending my belts,” Ramirez said.
“God knows that my goal is to become the undisputed champion, and this gets me one step closer to my goal.”
Former World champion, Postol (31-2, 12 KOs) is vying to win back his old WBC title and the Ukrainian has claimed two successive wins against Siar Ozgul and Mohamed Minoue, following defeat to Taylor in Glasgow in 2018.
The 36-year-old, whose only other loss comes to Terence Crawford in 2016, has never been stopped and is confident of causing an upset.
“I’m just looking forward to fighting. I’m coming to win those world titles,” Postol said.
“I have been training since this fight was first announced, so I’m focused and ready to go.”
Top Rank chairman Bob Arum has praised Ramirez, who helped during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, linking up with Central Valley community leaders to assist the region’s agricultural workers and delivering key supplies.
“Jose has stayed in the gym with his great trainer, Robert Garcia, throughout the pandemic,” Arum added.
“I have no doubt we will see the best version of Jose Ramirez, a wonderful young man and one of the world’s best fighters.
“He will need to be on his game because Postol is a worthy contender who has proven himself at the world-class level.”
Undefeated Super-Lightweight Arnold Barboza Jr features on the undercard against Canadian contender Tony “The Lighting” Luis.
Barboza Jr (23-0, 10 KOs), who has targeted a clash with Top Rank stablemate Alex Saucedo is ranked in the top 10 by both the WBC and WBO and face Luis (29-3, 10 KOs) a former WBA interim Lightweight title challenger.
“I would love to fight Saucedo, that’s the fight that I really want,” Barboza Jr told Pro Boxing Fans.
“The whole 140lbs division is on standby, because Ramirez and Josh Taylor have to do their thing and figure out their situation and fight to unify and move up so we’re all kind of basically in line waiting and waiting for them [to fight].
“So I think Saucedo makes a lot of sense for both of us, because he needs me to get back to the top where he was at and I need him to boost myself to the next level and I think a fight is very possible in October or September.”
“I’m proud of myself for not giving up throughout all the uncertainty over the past several months,” Luis explained.
“I knew this pandemic would be a test of character, and I forced myself to stay dedicated, knowing that if an opportunity arose, I’d be ready to strike.
“I have not lost in over five years, I’m in the best shape in my life, and I feel that Arnold Barboza Jr. is the perfect opponent to showcase my skills and take my career to the next level.
