Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez is set to face Chris Billam-Smith on Saturday, November 16th, 2024, at The Venue Riyadh Season in Riyadh.
The fight will be contested over 12 rounds in the Cruiserweight division, with a weight limit of 200 pounds (14.3 stone or 90.7 kg). This bout will determine the unified cruiserweight champion of the world, with the WBO and WBA belts on the line.
The undercard features several exciting matchups, including:
- Jose Carlos Ramirez vs. Arnold Barboza Jr.
- William Zepeda vs. Tevin Farmer
- Oscar Duarte vs. Kenneth Sims Jr.
- Oscar Collazo vs. Thammanoon Niyomtrong for the WBO World Minimumweight, WBA Super World Minimumweight, and The Ring Strawweight championships.
Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez enters the ring with a record of 46 wins, 1 loss, and 0 draws, with 30 of those wins by knockout. Chris Billam-Smith has a record of 20 wins, 1 loss, and 0 draws, with 13 of those wins by knockout.
Both fighters have impressive knockout percentages, each at 65%.
At 33 years old, Ramirez is a year younger than Billam-Smith. Despite Billam-Smith’s 1-inch height advantage, both fighters have an equal reach. Ramirez fights out of a southpaw stance, while Billam-Smith is an orthodox fighter.
Ramirez is the more experienced professional, with 26 more fights. He made his debut in 2009, 8 years before Billam-Smith, whose first professional fight was in 2017. Ramirez has fought 289 professional rounds compared to Billam-Smith’s 140.
Ramirez is ranked number 3 by The Ring at cruiserweight, while Billam-Smith is currently ranked number 1 by The Ring in the 200lb division.
In his last fight, Ramirez defeated Arsen Goulamirian on March 30, 2024, by unanimous decision in their WBA Super World Cruiserweight championship bout. He also secured victories against Joe Smith Jr. and Dominic Boesel and suffered a loss to Dmitry Bivol. Ramirez has won 4 of his last 5 fights, with 2 coming by stoppage.
Billam-Smith has won his last 5 fights, stopping 2 of his opponents. His most recent win was against Richard Riakporhe on June 15, 2024, by unanimous decision in their WBO World Cruiserweight championship fight. He also defeated Mateusz Masternak, Lawrence Okolie, Armend Xhoxhaj, and Isaac Chamberlain in previous bouts.
In terms of recent activity, Billam-Smith has been more active than Ramirez. Ramirez’s last 5 fights span over nearly 3 years, with an average interval of about 7 months between fights. Billam-Smith’s last 5 fights have taken place over just over 2 years, with an average interval of around 5 months and 17 days between fights.
Gilberto Ramirez – 280
Chris Billam-Smith + 200
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Thursday, November 15, 2024
