Two-time Cuban Olympic gold medalist Robeisi Ramirez turns 31 today after losing to WBO light heavyweight champion Rafael Espinoza on Dec. 7 in a rematch at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona.
Injury to Robeisi Ramirez
Former WBO 126-pound champion Robeisi (14-3, 9 KOs) was forced to retire in the sixth round after suffering an injury to his right eye. It turned out that Ramirez suffered a fractured orbital cranium in his right eye.
Robeisi believes the injury occurred earlier in the fight after the 6’1″ Espinoza elbowed him in the fourth round. Replays showed that Robeisi was elbowed by Espinoza like a stick in that round.
Before the injury struck in the sixth, Robeisi was getting the better of Espinoza and looked to be on his way to victory. However, as in the first fight, Espinoza happened to be catching Robeisi. His height poses a danger to shorter fighters, who get clipped by elbows when he throws uppercuts.
Robeisi controlled both fights against Espinosa, but then things fell apart for him. In his first fight with Espinoza on December 9, 2023, he knocked him out in the fifth round. The fight had to be stopped after Espinoza got up and crashed into the ropes.
What’s next for Robeisi?
Ramirez has yet to announce his plans for his next fight after recovering from an eye injury. He has now lost twice to Espinosa and the Cuban talent would be wise to move on.
The 5’6′ Robeisi should focus on fighting normal-sized featherweight fighters, as Espinoza is a freak of nature. He is designed more to fight at 135 or 140 with his height, not wear himself out fighting smaller guys at 126. Robeisi is unbeatable when he fights normal sized featherweights.
Top Rank will not bring Robeisi back with Espinoza after this latest loss. Robeisi should target one of the other three featherweight champions against these fighters:
- Nick Ball: VBA
- Angelo Leo: IBF
- Brandon Figueroa: WBC
TRAIN 🚂
Happy birthday to @RobeisiRamirez 🇨🇺 pic.tvitter.com/5dVAemhdMt
— Top Rank Boking (@trboking) December 20, 2024
