Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez has taken Mazatlán, Sinaloa to the pinnacle of boxing, making history multiple times throughout a career built on world-class achievements.

Zurdo stepped into one of the biggest fights of his life, defending his unified cruiserweight world titles against David Benavidez in Las Vegas during Cinco de Mayo weekend in a high-stakes all-Mexican showdown. However, Ramirez was ultimately overwhelmed as The Mexican Monster’s speed and power proved too much, leading to a sixth-round knockout defeat that halted his title reign and shifted the landscape of the division.

Prior to this, Ramirez delivered a composed and commanding performance, defending his titles against Yuniel Dorticos. Fighting as the co-main event of the Jake Paul vs. Julio César Chávez Jr. card, Zurdo stayed patient early, figured out Dorticos’ power and took control midway through the fight to secure a unanimous decision victory – another emphatic statement in his championship reign.

That momentum followed a historic 2024 campaign. In November, Ramirez traveled abroad and defeated Chris Billam-Smith in Riyadh, becoming the first Mexican-born unified cruiserweight world champion. Earlier that year, he captured the WBA Cruiserweight World Championship with a dominant win over Arsen Goulamirian, again making history as the first Mexican-born fighter to claim a title in the cruiserweight division. His move to cruiserweight had already shown promise with a strong victory over former champion Joe Smith Jr..

Before that resurgence, Ramirez faced adversity in November 2022 when he stepped up against Dmitry Bivol in a light heavyweight unification bout. Though he suffered the first loss of his career, his toughness and resolve were evident, setting the stage for his comeback.

Ramirez initially made history in April 2016 by defeating Arthur Abraham to win the WBO Super Middleweight title, becoming the first Mexican-born fighter to claim a world championship in that division. He successfully defended the belt five times against contenders like Jesse Hart and Roamer Alexis Angulo before moving up in weight.

Turning professional in August 2009 after a decorated amateur career that included multiple national titles, Ramirez steadily built his reputation as a dominant force in boxing. Representing Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Ramirez’s journey began in adversity. He started boxing at just 12 years old, growing up surrounded by crime and violence, where he once believed his future might lead to prison or worse. Instead, boxing became his escape, and ultimately, the foundation of a historic career that continues to evolve at the highest level.