-
Mike CoppingerESPN
Gilberto Ramirez’s 175-pound fight vs. Gabe Rosado on Saturday in Long Beach, California, has been cancelled after the former champion came in unofficially at 182.6 pounds at Friday’s weigh-in, sources told ESPN.
Former champion Joseph Diaz Jr. will fight Mercito Gesta in the new Golden Boy on DAZN main event, sources said. Diaz also failed to make weight for the lightweight bout, coming in at 139.4 pounds. But according to the sources, the fight will still take place. Gesta was at 137.2.
Ramirez said in a statement posted on Instagram there were “no excuses” for his missing weight.
“I had never missed weight in my 45 pro fights,” he wrote. “This is the first and last time. I have always prided myself on being a professional, but today was not my finest moment. On that note, I’d like to apologize to all my fans, supporters, Golden Boy Promotions, and DAZN for this unfortunate event.”
He continued: “I never gave up trying to make weight, cutting until the final moment, but just couldn’t lose enough to make the contracted weight. I am embarrassed and upset by my actions and promise that this will never happen again. I will make the right adjustments and be back soon.”
Ramirez (44-1, 30 KOs) was routed by Dmitry Bivol in a 175-pound title fight in November. ESPN’s No. 5 light heavyweight, Ramirez won all five of his 175-pound bouts inside the distance before he stepped up to Bivol for the title opportunity. Mexico’s Ramirez, 31, vacated his super middleweight title in 2019 after five successful defenses at 168 pounds.
Rosado (26-16-1, 15 KOs) has lost three consecutive fights since he scored an upset victory over Bektemir Melikuziev in June 2021 with a highlight-reel KO. Rosado has never competed at 168 pounds and was moving up one weight class for the fight with Ramirez. The 37-year-old gatekeeper fights out of Los Angeles.
Diaz, a 30-year-old Olympian from Southern California, is coming off a decision defeat to contender William Zepeda in November. That followed a decision loss to current undisputed lightweight champion Devin Haney in December 2021. Diaz (32-3-1, 15 KOs) is a former champion at 130 pounds.
Gesta (33-3-3, 17 KOs) is a native of the Philippines. He was slated to fight Ryan Garcia on Jan. 28, but Garcia decided to bypass a tune-up bout to head directly into the April 22 superfight vs. Gervonta Davis.