Rafael Espinoza is set to take on Robeisy Ramirez on Saturday, December 7th, 2024, at Footprint Center in Phoenix.
The fight will be contested over 12 rounds in the Featherweight division, with a weight limit of 126 pounds (9 stone or 57.1 kg). This bout is for the WBO Featherweight Championship.
This fight will be part of the undercard for the clash between Emanuel Navarrete and Oscar Valdez for the WBO World Junior Lightweight Championship. Also featured on the undercard will be the bout between Giovani Santillan and Fredrick Lawson.
Rafael Espinoza enters the ring with an undefeated record of 25 wins, no losses, and no draws, with 21 of those wins coming by way of knockout.
Robeisy Ramirez comes in with a record of 14 wins, 2 losses, and no draws, with 9 of those wins by knockout.
Statistically, Espinoza holds a power advantage over Ramirez, boasting an 84% knockout percentage compared to Ramirez’s 64%.
Both fighters are 30 years old, but Espinoza has a significant height advantage of 7 inches and a reach advantage of 6 inches.
Espinoza fights with an orthodox stance, while Ramirez is a southpaw.
Espinoza is arguably the more experienced fighter, having had 9 more fights and debuting in 2013, 6 years and 5 months earlier than Ramirez, who had his first professional fight in 2019. Espinoza has fought a total of 91 professional rounds compared to Ramirez’s 104.
Rafael Espinoza is ranked number 5 by The Ring at featherweight, while Robeisy Ramirez is currently ranked number 1 by the WBO and number 8 by The Ring in the 126lb division.
Espinoza remains undefeated as a professional, stopping 4 of his last 5 opponents. In his most recent fight, he defeated Sergio Chirino Sanchez by technical knockout in the 4th round on June 21, 2024, in their WBO World Featherweight Championship bout at Fontainebleau Las Vegas.
Before that, he had beaten Robeisy Ramirez by majority decision on December 9, 2023, in their WBO World Featherweight Championship fight at Charles F. Dodge City Center, Pembroke Pines. He also won against Ally Mwerangi by knockout in the 2nd round on July 15, 2023, at Restaurante Arroyo, Mexico City, and beat Rafael Rosas Ramirez by technical knockout in the 3rd round on March 25, 2023, at El Domo del Code Jalisco, Guadalajara.
Ramirez has won 4 of his last 5 fights, stopping 3 of them and going the distance once. His most recent victory was against Brandon Leon Benitez on June 29, 2024, by technical knockout in the 7th round at James L. Knight Center, Miami Beach.
Prior to that, he lost to Rafael Espinoza by majority decision on December 9, 2023, in their WBO World Featherweight Championship fight at Charles F. Dodge City Center, Pembroke Pines. He won against Satoshi Shimizu by technical knockout in the 5th round on July 25, 2023, at Ariake Arena, Koto-Ku, Japan, and defeated Isaac Dogboe by unanimous decision on April 1, 2023, in their WBO World Featherweight Championship fight at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Tulsa. He also beat Jose Matias Romero by technical knockout in the 9th round on October 29, 2022, at Madison Square Garden Theater, New York.
Rafael Espinoza has been more active recently, last fighting 5 months and 16 days ago, while Robeisy Ramirez’s last bout was 5 months and 8 days ago.
Espinoza’s last 5 fights span 1 year, 8 months, and 12 days, meaning he has been fighting approximately every 4 months and 4 days. These bouts have lasted an average of 4.8 rounds each.
Ramirez’s last 5 fights span 2 years, 1 month, and 8 days, averaging a fight every 5 months and 3 days. These bouts have lasted an average of 9 rounds each.
Rafael Espinoza + 110
Robeisy Ramirez – 130
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Friday, December 6, 2024
