“I think maybe one or two more fights,” Ramirez said to Fight Hub TV when asked about his long-term plans. “I’ve been in this sport a long time.”
The 33-year-old Ramirez said that while he still wants to continue for now, he is already thinking about how his career will close out, rather than how long it can be extended. Ramirez said he has achieved key goals in the sport, including becoming a two-division world champion, but still wants to prove himself at the highest level before stepping away.
That pursuit begins with Benavidez, a fight Ramirez believes will define his standing and push his name further into the top tier of the sport.
“I will beat him. That’s my plan too, to fight Opetaia,” said Gilberto about wanting to fight former IBF cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia.
It is a shoot-for-the-stars kind of plan for Ramirez, but you can’t blame him for wanting to fight Opetaia. The biggest hurdle isn’t just the fight itself, but where Jai Opetaia is sitting right now. Jai is now the face of Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing.
At the same time, Ramirez hinted at one final twist before retirement. When asked about moving up again, he left the door open to a possible run at heavyweight, even acknowledging he may not be the biggest fighter in that division.
“Why not?” Ramirez said about moving up to heavyweight. “It would be amazing.”
If Zurdo loses to Benavidez, his plan for Opetaia likely evaporates, and he might just skip straight to that heavyweight moonshot for a final payday before hanging them up.
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