Albert Ramirez wants to face big name light heavyweights after Marko Calic fight

Light heavyweight Albert Ramirez is waiting for his moment. He wants to prove he is the best fighter at light heavyweight. Thursday night’s fight is another step in taking on big names in the division.

Ramirez faces Marko Calic this Thursday in a 10-round bout at the Montreal Casino in Montreal, Canada. The bout will be streamed in United States on ESPN+.

Ramirez, 32, is ranked No. 2 by the WBA and WBC as he sported a WBA cap for the interview. Given his age and pedigree, Ramirez is looking for big fights to happen sooner than later. Even when watching this past weekend’s pay-per-view, where he witnessed David Benavidez defeating David Morrell, Ramirez’s confidence is undeterred.

“I don’t want to underestimate any of my rivals, but the best in the division is me,” Ramirez told BoxingScene via a translator. “I feel prepared. After the fight whatever my team says, I’m ready to go.”

Ramirez fought in August, defeating former title challenger Adam Deines by stoppage in the seventh round. Calic, a 37-year-old Croatian, who has only lost to Joshua Buatsi, serves as a measuring stick between him and the British light heavyweight. Ramirez has had to exercise patience as Artur Beterbiev-Dmitry Bivol will rematch for all four titles in the division.

Undisputed fights are great for fans, but can create log-jams for contenders. Ramirez is experiencing the downside of there being just one fighter with all of the belts.

“If I have the opportunity to go to fight the best, I will do it,” Ramirez, 19-0 (16 KOs), said. “I just want to fight the top contenders in my division, It could be [David] Benavidez. I will do it. Callum Smith, Anthony Yarde, Joshua Buatsi – I just want to fight those guys. This is one of my main objectives and the other objective is to go for the word title.”

Ramirez, who competed in the 2016 Rio Olympics, joined Eye of the Tiger management in 2023. Venezuela’s Ramirez will be fighting for the fifth time with Eye of the Tiger. He prepared for this fight in France. 

Ramirez is the first to tell you he knows little of his opponent Calic, 15-1 (9 KOs). He prefers to let his coaches do the work to prepare him on how to train.

“To be honest with you the only thing I know about Marko Calic is that he is Croatian,” Ramirez said. “I didn’t study him. I let my team study him. They did the work. Whatever they say to me, I will go to do in the ring.” 

As for a comparison to Buatsi, who stopped Calic in the seventh round back in 2020, Ramirez was prompt in his response.

“Like I told you before, I’m just waiting for my interim title, the world title,” Ramirez said. “If I have to fight him [Buatsi], I will do it.”

Lucas Ketelle took an unconventional path to boxing, eventually finding his stride in gyms and media. For the past decade, he has hosted the “Lukie Boxing” podcast, filmed training camps for fighters like Arnold Barboza Jnr, Mikey Garcia and Caleb Plant, and worked with top professionals such as Mike Bazzel. Ketelle is also an author of “Inside the Ropes of Boxing,” a guide for young fighters, a writer for ProBox TV, BoxingScene and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Find him on X at @LukieBoxing.