The lightweight Jonhatan Cardoso always begins his journey at home. For the 25-year-old Cardoso, every training camp starts at the Coliseu Boxe Center in Brazil before he packs his bags and heads to Florida to wrap up preparations under Marc Farrait. It’s a ritual as familiar as lacing up his gloves, one that has become the foundation of his rise in boxing.
Cardoso headlines Wednesday Night Fights on Wednesday on ProBox TV, taking on Eduardo Ramirez in a 10-round main event at the ProBox TV Events Center in Plant City, Florida.
“This is what I always do,” Cardoso said. “I start in Brazil with my coaches who have trained me my whole life, then finish camp here [in the U.S.]. This fight was no different. ProBox called me, I saw the fighter, and I said, ‘Okay, let’s go.’ I came to the United States to finish camp, and it was an amazing camp.”
The tradition began in 2022 when Cardoso started fighting on ProBox TV. Back then, he spoke little English, but now he confidently handles interviews in his second language, reflecting his growth in and out of the ring.
Cardoso, 17-1 (15 KOs), enters the fight riding a three-bout win streak following a shocking knockout loss to Juan Huertas in June 2022. His most recent victory, a hard-fought split-decision over veteran Adam “Blunose” Lopez, taught him invaluable lessons.
“I learned so much in that fight,” Cardoso said. “It was my first time going the full 10 rounds. It gave me experience—how to work on my defense and use my intelligence in the ring.”
Standing across from him Wednesday night will be Ramirez, 28-4-3 (13 KOs), a seasoned 31-year-old Mexican fighter with a resume far better than his recent 1-2 record suggests. Ramirez’s losses came against high-level opposition, including a stoppage defeat to former junior welterweight titleholder Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz and a decision loss to former featherweight titleholder Mark Magsayo.
“He has a lot of experience in boxing,” Cardoso said. “If I win, it gets me closer to the big, big fights.”
Cardoso is mindful of what’s at stake, yet he remains respectful of Ramirez’s achievements.
“I respect him and his story in boxing,” Cardoso said. “I’ve watched him. I know he has a lot of experience.”
For Cardoso, the fight represents another step toward fulfilling his dreams of competing in marquee bouts and pursuing a world title. “This is so important to me,” Cardoso said. “I’m ready to put myself on another level.”
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