- Dmitry Bivol has opened as the -550 betting favorite against Zurdo Ramirez (+350).
- Bivol upset Canelo Alvarez as the +400 betting underdog during their fight last May.
- Ramirez knocked out Dominic Boesel inside four rounds to become the WBA’s mandatory light heavyweight title challenger.
Dmitry Bivol has opened as a heavy betting favorite against mandatory challenger Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez.
According to the best boxing betting sites, champion Bivol is the -550 betting favorite to retain his belt with Ramirez coming back at +350 odds:
Dmitry Bivol and Zurdo Ramirez go face to face for the first time. 🫣🏆#BivolRamirez is LIVE on DAZN on November 5. pic.twitter.com/ADhlYbBNA7
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) August 31, 2022
The two unbeaten light heavyweights are set to meet at Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Arena on November 5th in a boxing event that will be streamed by DAZN.
Dmitry Bivol Pulls Off The Upset of Canelo
Dmitry Bivol The +400 Underdog Pulls Off The Upset Of Canelo https://t.co/GgEKScAQcO pic.twitter.com/3dQM5J3JWv
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) May 8, 2022
Bivol pulled off the upset of Canelo Alvarez as the +400 betting underdog last May at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada to defend his WBA 175-pound title. The loss was Alvarez’s first since he was beaten by Floyd Mayweather Jr. nine years ago and the second overall for the Mexican boxing superstar. Meanwhile, the victory cemented Bivol’s status as one of the best light heavyweights in the business.
The 31-year-old from Kyrgyzstan in Russia is undefeated in 20 bouts with 11 of his wins coming by way of knockout. As an amateur, he won the gold medal at the 2013 World Combat Games in the 81 kg weight category. Bivol won the interim WBA light heavyweight title in 2016 before he was promoted to full champion status. Since holding the belt, he has made eight successful title defenses.
Bivol opened and closed as the betting favorite in each of his first 19 bouts before he hit the betting boards at +250 against Canelo. He closed at the +280 to +400 range but proved his worth by beating one of the best pound-for-pound fighters of this era. At -550 against Zurdo, Bivol has opened at his third longest odds ever and as a favorite, this is only the second time he’s opened at odds longer than +1000. The other time was when he hit the betting boards at -475 odds against Sullivan Barrera.
Zurdo Knocks Out Dominic Boesel in Four Rounds
Light-heavyweight star Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez knocks out Dominic Boesel in four rounds.
“This is my natural weight. Everyone knows I want Bivol. He needs to stop running and sign the contract. I’m coming for that belt. I can beat him – I’m bigger, stronger, and smarter.” pic.twitter.com/wQhq61Hql2
— Boxing News (@BoxingNewsED) May 15, 2022
Meanwhile, Ramirez earned his right to challenge Bivol when he knocked out Dominic Boesel in four rounds during their WBA light heavyweight title eliminator bout last May 14th in Ontario, California. The victory was the fifth straight for Zurdo since moving up to light heavyweight in 2019. All five wins were via knockout.
The 31-year-old southpaw from Sinaloa, Mexico is a former WBO super middleweight champion and the first Mexican to win a world title in that weight class. Ramirez won that belt by defeating Arthur Abraham via unanimous decision in 2016. Zurdo made five successful title defenses before moving up in weight class. He also has an unbeaten record of 44-0 with 30 knockouts.
This marks the first time in his professional boxing career where Zurdo has opened as the betting underdog in a boxing bout. Ramirez’s previous longest opening odds were at -140 when he fought Abraham for the super middleweight belt. In his previous five bouts as a light heavyweight, the Mexican has not opened at odds longer than +625.
