Former unified junior welterweight titleholder Jose Ramirez laments the decision to remain at 140 pounds for so long and believes cutting weight was depleting his abilities.

Now, the 32-year-old (29-3, 18 KOs) is committed to finding out how much more he can produce among the world's elite contenders, in an ever-changing 147-pound division.

In a 144-pound catchweight contest, he won just one round on two of the three judges' scorecards in a wide 12-round points loss to two-division champion Devin Haney at New York's Times Square on May 2.

For the first time in his 13-year career, he'll return after consecutive defeats. A three-fight win streak was snapped in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Nov. 16, losing a competitive 10-round decision to former interim titleholder Arnold Barboza Jr.

Haney, who himself was coming off a year-long layoff, certainly played his part in what was an anticlimactic affair two months ago.

Yet Ramirez missed an opportunity to catch him at an opportune time — the uncertainty surrounding his physical state — after the Ryan Garcia controversy from their April 2024 bout, later changed to a no-contest.

The Robert Garcia-trained former champion told BoxingScene: "Even my last fight was such an underwhelming fight. I felt really strong for that training camp, was hurting undefeated sparring partners."

Haney (32-0, 15 KOs) has since signed for a high-stakes welterweight debut of his own, facing in-form WBO titleholder Brian Norman Jr (28-0, 22 KOs) on the Ring IV card headlined by David Benavidez-Anthony Yarde come Nov. 22.

"I never expected him to fight like that. Go watch the fight again. He has no control of his feet when he's doing lateral movement. It is hard as a fighter. You start thinking, 'What if I throw something too crazy?' and the commentators might say, 'Jose is getting frustrated.'"

As far as potential opponents are concerned, Ramirez pointed to Ryan Garcia and Regis Prograis. Garcia is focused on righting the wrongs from his surprise Rolando Romero defeat that same May night, while two-time former titleholder Prograis returns at 140lbs against Joseph Diaz Jr this weekend as part of a Golden Boy card in Chicago set to be streamed live on DAZN.

"I think 147lbs will be the proper weight class. I am ready to fight anyone at 147lbs."