WBO featherweight champion Rafael Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) will be looking to go 2-0 against former 126-lb champion Robeisy Ramirez (14-2, 9 KOs) in their rematch this Saturday, December 9th. The fight will take place at the Footprint Center in Phoenix. ESPN and ESPN+ will show the event life at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT.
(Credit: Top Rank)
Espinoza, 30, pulled off an upset of the WBO champion Robeisy a year ago on December 9th, winning a 12-round majority decision in a fight that was decided in the championship rounds.
The heart of the 6’1″ Mexican Espinoza was too much for the two-time Olympic gold medalist Robeisy and won him the fight. Espinoza dropped a tired-looking Robeisy in the 12th and had him close to being knocked out as the bell sounded to end the contest.
Robeisy claimed afterward that he wasn’t 100% and definitely didn’t look it. In Ramirez’s last fight, he bounced back from his loss to stop Brandon Leon Benitez in the seventh round on June 29th in Miami Beach, Florida.
If Robeisy looks as good as he did against Benitez, Espinoza doesn’t stand a chance. Ramirez has way too many technical skills for Espinoza, and will pick him apart to show that his previous loss was just a fluke.
“Yes, we all know about my height advantage, but I also have another advantage, and that’s my heart. So, I’m going to show my heart by giving everything in the ring this Saturday,” said Rafael Espinoza.
Heart may not be enough for Espinoza to win in this fight. The bell saved him in the fifth round of their previous fight, and the referee gave him a huge break by not stopping the fight. The fight should have been stopped because Espinoza stumbled and fell into the ropes, showing that he was out on his feet after getting up. Many referees would have stopped it.
“I think that to mention things from the past right now is unnecessary because it sounds like excuses, and I will never give excuses in this sport. Simply put, I think that I learned how you should fight when you’re not at 100% physically and mentally,” said Robeisy Ramirez
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