Dmitry Bivol vs Gilberto Ramirez preview: Undisputed title bout hangs in the balance

Dmitry Bivol will put his light heavyweight belt on the line in his mandatory defence against Gilberto Ramirez on Saturday in Abu Dhabi.

Bivol, six months after his mightily impressive victory against Canelo Alvarez by unanimous decision, will justifiably enter the ring as the overwhelming 2/7 favourite, but should be wary of the threat and pressure posed by the Mexican Ramirez.

The stakes for this clash are high, with the winner not only cementing themselves as world champion, but potentially hurdling themselves towards an undisputed light heavyweight championship clash with the imperious Artur Beterbiev.

Bivol to continue exciting form

Dmitri Bivol stunned the world of boxing with a dominant performance in his last fight against Canelo Alvarez, who is arguably the best pound-for-pound boxer on the planet. Not since fighting Floyd Mayweather was the Mexican so brutally conquered in the ring.

Bivol was able to box on his terms and command the bout for all 12 rounds, using his phenomenal jab and fast combinations down the middle to overwhelm his opponent. The Russian seldom does anything spectacular, knocking his opponent out in only 11 of his 20 victories, but he is a cerebral and intelligent fighter with good defensive instincts and a limited tendency for mistakes.

Bivol to win on Saturday by Decision or Technical Decision certainly seems the most likely of outcomes, and is strictly priced at 4/7. If you however fancy the Russian to win by KO, TKO or DQ, that can be backed at more appealing odds of 4/1.

Don’t rule out physical Ramirez

Gilberto Ramirez will be considered the underdog for Saturday’s contest at 10/3, but don’t rule out the sheer strength and physicality of the Mexican as he seeks to avenge his countryman’s defeat to Bivol back in May.

Ramirez has a perfect 44-0 record coming into Abu Dhabi, with 30 of those victories coming by way of knockout. The Mexcian has the ability to stop fights at any time with a single blow, and Bivol must be extra wary not to concede any big strikes to his physically superior opponent.

All things considered, Ramirez to win by KO, TKO or DQ at 7/1 seems kindly priced, given the three-inch reach advantage and knockout tendency the Mexican possesses. Chances are that Ramirez will come forward and take the fight to Bivol, probably seeing him land the bigger shots. If they trade blows, expect Ramirez’s punches to score better with the judges.

The fight to go the distance is heavily backed at 3/10, but if you fancy one of these two to stop the bout before the final bell, that can be backed at 12/5.