On a tense night at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Mexico’s Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramírez successfully defended his WBA Cruiserweight Super Championship with a convincing unanimous decision victory over Cuba’s seasoned veteran Yuniel “Dr. KO” Dorticos.
The judges’ scorecards told a clear story: 115-112, 115-112, and 117-110, all in favor of the Sinaloa native, who improves to 48-1 with 30 knockouts. For Dorticos, now 27-3 (25 KOs), this may have been one of his final runs at the elite level.
Dorticos came out firing, setting a brisk pace in the opening rounds. His jab and uppercuts landed cleanly on Ramírez, and the Cuban’s trademark power kept the Mexican on high alert. In rounds two and three, referee Ray Corona had to caution Dorticos for low blows, a sign of the intense physicality early on.
Ramírez, known for his composure, started slow—perhaps too slow—ceding momentum to the challenger. But by the fifth round, the champion began dialing in. He found his rhythm, worked the body with precision, and began to chip away at Dorticos’ gas tank.
The second half of the fight belonged almost entirely to Zurdo. A sharp straight left in round 7 rocked Dorticos and signaled a turning point. From there, Ramírez pressed the action, using his superior conditioning and volume punching to dictate the pace. Round 11 saw him deliver his best combinations of the night, and he smartly closed out the 12th without taking unnecessary risks.
While the knockout eluded him once again at cruiserweight, Ramírez put in a workmanlike performance. His defense looked sharper, and his adaptability against a tough, awkward opponent proved pivotal.
This win further solidifies Ramírez as a key player at 200 pounds. Talks are already swirling about a potential unification bout with Australia’s Jai Opetaia or a long-awaited title defense on Mexican soil—something the Zurdo himself has openly wished for.
As for Dorticos, he showed flashes of the fighter who once ruled the division, but at 39 and with limited recent activity, the question of what’s next looms large.
In Anaheim, experience, patience, and tactical execution beat out brute force. And even without fireworks, Zurdo showed once again that his name still carries weight in the division.
