Gilberto Ramirez vs Yuniel Dorticos Predictions: Forget it Jake, it’s Zurdo town

WBA and WBO cruiserweight kingpin Gilberto Ramirez defends his belts against ex-IBF boss Yuniel Dorticos this Saturday, June 28. The world title attraction serves as chief support for Jake Paul’s latest circus, with ‘El Gallo’ facing Julio Cesar Chavez Jr in the headliner. DAZN PPV will carry the event live with the Honda Center in Anaheim, California playing host.

Here are my Gilberto Ramirez vs Yuniel Dorticos predictions ahead of this cruiserweight clash.

Gilberto Ramirez vs Yuniel Dorticos Odds

'Zurdo' is a firm 1/10 favourite. Dorticos is 11/2 while the draw is 16/1.

Gilberto Ramirez vs Yuniel Dorticos Fight Preview

While the traditionalist inside myself and many of my wiser readers bristles at the notion, there is a certain wisdom to ‘Zurdo’ playing second-fiddle to Paul here. The unified cruiserweight king will be acutely aware of the number of eyeballs his plum positioning in the co-main event will garner thanks to the YouTube miscreant in the main event.

There is also the small matter of a shared weight division. Paul has often spoke of his goals for this boxing expedition. While the Mike Tyson fiasco exposed his true ambitions as purely financial, ‘The Problem Child’ has ring-fenced a fight with Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez and a world title shot as his direction of travel.

A win over Chavez should mean nothing to the sanctioning bodies. But Ramirez being in a featured position on the card and the narrative that DAZN and both fighters have pushed is concerning. Could the WBO or WBA decide to be compliant and edge Jake into their top 15 to allow a fight with ‘Zurdo’?

Part of me hopes not. Part of me wants to see Ramirez finally end the Paul myth once and for all. I do not see ‘Zurdo’ being as compliant a foe as the ancient Tyson or the scores of MMA refugees Paul has dealt with.

Ramirez looked excellent in his last outing, ripping the WBO belt from Britain’s Chris Billam-Smith in a real war. The Mexican took some leather from a fighter who boasts perhaps the best engine in the division. But he overwhelmed the Bournemouth man to double his complement of cruiserweight titles.

Ramirez had looked imperious in dethroning Arsen Goulamirian for the WBA belt on points, while he opened his cruiserweight account by out-scoring former light heavyweight kingpin Joe Smith Jr. over 10 rounds.

While Ramirez is all-action, it appears that his power has not travelled up in weight with him. When challenging Dmitry Bivol for the WBA light heavyweight strap in 2022, ‘Zurdo’ came into the fight on a five-bout knockout streak. It was that subsequent unanimous decision defeat to the Russian that birthed Gilberto’s cruiserweight switch.

It is quite logical that Ramirez’s famous whack is not as evident at 200lb. After all, this is a man who captured the WBO super middleweight title from Arthur Abraham in 2016. ‘Zurdo’ racked up five defences of the famous belt, held longest by Joe Calzaghe, before trying to win titles up at 175lb.

Ramirez actually started his career as a middleweight way back in 2009. Still only 33, it feels like ‘Zurdo’ is doomed to go the long route to win his cruiserweight defences. That will suit Dorticos just fine. 

‘The KO Doctor’ is a big-punching Cuban who will be happy to test Ramirez’s seemingly-sapped power. Dorticos has 25 knockouts from 27 wins, earning his unique nickname and then some. A former IBF world champion, the veteran holds wins over Fulgencio Zuniga, Edison Miranda, Youri Kalenga and Andrew Tabiti.

Dorticos has only come up short twice, losing decision to Murat Gassiev and Mairis Briedis in world title fights. He boasts an impressive resume but there are telltale signs littered throughout that point to a straightforward task for ‘Zurdo’.

The venerable ‘Doctor’ is 39 years of age and has had one fight in the last three years. That came in a first-round knockout of journeyman Alan Campa in June 2024. The Cuban is without a win over a world-ranked opponent since his 2019 stoppage of Tabiti in his last successful title defence. 

Dorticos looks good on paper but past-it in practice. A perfect mirror to the night’s main event, in which Chavez is dragged out of a semi-retired stupor to fight on a platform high above his current level. This fight would have been huge five years ago, but now it risks being one-sided in the extreme.

Gilberto Ramirez vs Yuniel Dorticos Full Card

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Gilberto 'Zurdo' Ramirez vs Yuniel Dorticos

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Gilberto Ramirez vs Yuniel Dorticos Prediction

Despite the quickness of the win, Dorticos looked slow and ponderous against Campa. The abs that rippled as he dismantled Tabiti were replaced with a noticeable paunch. The shots that used to rip like a blade now feel blunted. Dorticos had more than enough to take out a journeyman and a year later he probably still could.

But ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez is no Alan Campa. His punches might not take his foes out early at this larger weight, but ask Billam-Smith or Goulamirian if they hurt. At 39 and with years of inconsistent activity, I don’t see Dorticos summoning the defence to keep them off. 

I’m backing Ramirez to score the win here at 1/10. Paul will be watching closely. Those high-volume barrages might be coming for his bleach-blonde bonce soon.

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