Following on from his suprise win over Canelo in May, Dmitry Bivol seeks to cement his place as one of the top fighters in boxing today by beating dangerous challenger Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez.
Bivol (20-0, 11 KOs) had till that point amassed a professional resume that was impressive, but not outstanding, before launching himself into the stratosphere with that victory. Zurdo (44-0-0, 30 KOs) is currently in pretty much the position Bivol was then, and the dangerous, hard-punching challenger will be looking to grab the chance to prove himself with everything he’s got. Bivol is going to be favoured, but expect a tough test.
This page will provide live play-by-play of the main event. The card starts at 1:30 p.m. ET and can be streamed on DAZN, with the main event expected shortly after 5 p.m, but stay tuned here for updates on that time.
Round by Round
Round 1: Both men open by trying to hold the center of the ring, but without throwing match. Peppering each other with jabs. Ref already talking to them about stepping on each other’s feet in this southpaw (Ramirez) vs orthodox (Bivol) matchup. The worry was Bivol would respond to Zurdo’s size by playing keep-away, but he’s not so far. Starts to get a few right hands in as the round goes no, but he takes a couple solid ones back. They spring to life and exchange in the last few seconds, Bivol winning that. 10-9 Bivol
Round 2: Zurdo trying to use his height and length to punch over Bivol’s jab. It works once but Bivol’s too sharp to let that be a route consistently. The 1-2 with the 2 to the body is working for him though, and he follows up by catching him solidly upstairs. Bivol responds with a quick combo that snaps Zurdo’s head back. Bivol pushing forward now, he evidently wants to take Zurdo’s length away. Again they end the round exchanging, and the difference in these moments is definitely that Bivol’s defence is the better. 10-9 Bivol, 20-18
Round 3: Zurdo working that 1-2 again, but Bivol’s already got him leaning too far to get it home and counters. This isn’t a schooling just yet, but we’re starting to see a level difference. Zurdo pushes forward and does catch him, but once again he’s leaning too far and gets countered. Zurdo
