RAMIREZ VS BILLAM-SMITH: WHO WILL PREVAIL IN THIS EPIC MIDDLE EASTERN SHOWDOWN?
Mexico heads 8,500 miles east to Saudi Arabia this weekend, as Riyadh Season hosts its first-ever “Latino Night” in partnership with Golden Boy. The main event promises fireworks as Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez puts his WBA World Cruiserweight Title on the line in what could be a thrilling unification bout with reigning WBO World Champion Chris Billam-Smith.
The undercard is stacked with some of the best undefeated talent on the planet, including William Zepeda and Oscar Collazo. It’s set to be a special night in the desert with huge potential fights on the horizon for the night’s winners.
Two fighters who have taken contrasting journeys in the pro ranks finally meet on Saturday night when Gilberto Ramirez faces British challenger Chris Billam-Smith.
Ramirez, who began his career as a middleweight, claimed his first world title at super-middleweight in 2016 by defeating the legendary Arthur Abraham. He defended that title five times before moving up to light-heavyweight, aiming to become a two-weight world champion. However, his pursuit fell short against the generational talent Dmitry Bivol, who outclassed him over 12 rounds.
Following that loss, Ramirez moved up to cruiserweight, where he defeated the experienced Joe Smith Jr. and later captured the WBA World Title by besting then-champion Arsen Goulamirian earlier this year. That victory was perhaps the best of Zurdo’s career to date, but he’ll need to raise his game once again to overcome the powerful Bournemouth native, Chris Billam-Smith.
Known as the pride of Bournemouth, Billam-Smith signaled his world-class potential early in his career. A controversial 2019 loss to Richard Riakporhe only served as a minor setback. Since then, he has gone on an 11-fight win streak, which included dethroning Lawrence Okolie to claim the WBO World Title and later exacting revenge over Riakporhe with a composed, tactical performance.
With the oddsmakers favoring Ramirez in this bout, it’s easy to see why considering his vast experience at world level compared to Billam-Smith albeit at lighter weights. Both fighters have suffered one career defeat, but Billam-Smith is far more established at cruiserweight. He has repeatedly proven himself at this level but mainly against domestic opposition. Early in his career, he was known for looking to end fights quickly, but his victories over Okolie and Riakporhe showcased a more patient, strategic approach.
His recent wins over Smith Jr. and Goulamirian were solid, especially Goulamirian considering the hype around him, but Ramirez will likely need an improved performance to get a similar result against Billam-Smith. It’s possible we’ll see a reversal of typical roles here, with the Mexican opting to box from the outside while Billam-Smith attempts to close the gap.
Billam-Smith’s needs to assert his size advantage early, compelling Ramirez to respect his power. By targeting the body and forcing Ramirez into uncomfortable positions, he could test the Mexican like never before. If he executes this game plan, then he’ll have a much better chance than the odds suggest.
One of Billam-Smith’s big issues though is how much he often admires his own work. If he lands a good shot, he had tendencies to get carried away and leave himself wide open. Someone of Ramirez’s quality will most definitely exploit that and use it to their advantage so don’t be surprised if the Mexican is the much more patient one out of the two on Saturday night.
Before the main event, the hard-hitting, exciting, and ironically soft-spoken William Zepeda will square off against former world champion Tevin Farmer. Originally, it looked like Zepeda might face Shakur Stevenson, but that fight fell through, though it could still happen in early 2025.
Farmer, on the other hand, will be aiming to derail those plans and return to form after a July loss to Raymond Muratalla.
Lighter-weight fighters rarely get the spotlight they deserve, but WBO World Minimumweight Champion Oscar Collazo is creating plenty of buzz. With a perfect record of 10-0 and seven stoppages, he’s the kind of fighter you could watch on repeat. Collazo takes on Thailand’s Thammanoon Niyomtrong, who will be looking to stretch his own unbeaten record to 26-0 and make a statement of his own.
Originally set as a 12-round world title eliminator, former world champion Jose Ramirez will take on the undefeated Arnold Barboza Jr. in a now-10-round contest. The change came after Barboza opted not to pay the WBO sanctioning fees, which could cost him his #1 contender spot if he wins. Both fighters are hungry for a title shot in 2025, and with their exciting, front-foot fighting styles, don’t be surprised if this turns out to be the fight of the night.