Two undefeated fighters collide for the light heavyweight title in Abu Dhabi on November 5. Of course, we’re talking Dmitry Bivol vs. Gilberto Ramirez and we have free betting picks on the fight right here. Keep reading for expert advice!
Before we break down our bets, let’s take a gander at the current odds listed on top-used betting sites for boxing. The reigning and defending WBA ‘Super’ World light-heavyweight champ, Bivol (20-0, 11KO), is a semi-heavy favorite on the moneyline as seen below:
Bivol vs. Ramirez Preview
Despite both’s undefeated status, neither fighter is particularly well known outside of boxing purists. So as we preview how Bivol vs. Ramirez could possibly go down, here’s “the skinny” on each fighter.
Bivol is defending his belt for the ninth time. In his eighth defense, Bivol shockingly upset Canelo Alvarez, who moved up weight classes to fight the title holder. Bivol won the fight convincingly that night, using his jab, speed, and cardio to outpoint Canelo. A talk of a rematch is there, but first, Bivol needs to take care of business in Abu Dhabi.
Ramirez is even less known than Bivol but holds a respectable 44-0. He’s a former world champion, but at super middleweight, not light heavyweight as this fight is being contested. However, Ramirez has spent his past few fights at light heavyweight. Ironically enough, Bivol also transistors from middleweight originally, where he too was a world champion.
It’s a real style clash between the two. Bivol is arguably much more technically sound. His jab is second to none, which helps keep opponents at bay — as Canelo found out. Moreover, the champ from Russia has elite footwork and conditioning, which means his output is high round to round. Bivol rarely if ever goes for “style points” or KOs since he can outpoint most challengers.
Ramirez is quite the opposite. Nicknamed “Zurdo de Oro”, which translates to Golden Southpaw, he typically goes and succeeds in getting knockouts. Thirty of his 44 wins have come via stoppage, including the last four. Speed and power fly out of Ramirez’s punches, particularly when going to the body. Body shots might just be Ramirez’s key to victory. When pressed, Bivol tends to guard high — leaving his body wide open in the process. That’ll be Ramirez's best chance at hurting Bivol.
Bivol vs. Ramirez Betting Prediction
There are really only two outcomes we foresee happening come fight night. We’ll lay both out before giving our final Bivol vs. Ramirez betting prediction.
Scenario one: Ramirez bruises Bivol into a knockdown victory. While Bivol has never been dropped before, Ramirez brings a different level of power than he’s ever faced. And as we said, the body shot — Ramirez's trademark blow — should be available. Ramirez has to cut down the distance of the fight to make a KO happen, which is possible with his height and reach advantage.
Scenario two: Bivol outclasses Ramirez and wins on the scorecards. The thing about Ramirez is that he sacrifices defense for his offense. Ramirez's head movement is rather unimpressive, which means Bivol will have ample chances to jab away at him and keep him and his punishing offense at a distance.
We’re betting on scenario two and in fact, we’re quite confident in that playing out. Bivol is a world-class fighter skill-wise, which goes unnoticed most of the time because he’s rather “boring.” We expect the title-holder to piece up Ramirez and score a unanimous decision victory. Once props are available, look into Bivol by decision, which will have more value than just his moneyline.
How To Watch Bivol vs. Ramirez Preview
In most parts of the world, DAZN will be the exclusive place to watch Bivol vs. Ramirez. The app will stream it for those with subscriptions — no extra buy is necessary. For those inside the United States, a DAZN subscription is only $20 a month.
Because the fight is in Abu Dhabi, it’ll air in the daytime for those in the United States (and the Western hemisphere). The whole fight card begins at 1:30 pm EST, but the title fight main event is expected to start around 5 pm or so.
How To Bet Bivol vs. Ramirez
If you’ve read up to this point, then you’re ready to bet on Bivol vs. Ramirez except for perhaps one thing: a trusty sportsbook to actually drop the money on. Welp, we got you covered there with the underneath table. These are the very “best of the best” sites in the marketplace, as illustrated in our online sportsbook reviews.
Better yet, these same bookies are offering various free-play sportsbook bonuses. If redeemed, these deals could make your Bivol-Ramirez bets free of cost. All you have to do is create an account, deposit money, and then the sportsbook matches that deposit in free play. Money earned can not only be spent on these boxing bouts but also on the upcoming Tyson Fury vs. Derek Chisora matchup, among others in the sport.