NORTH HOLLYWOOD, California – Unified cruiserweight champion Gilberto Ramirez is predicting a knockout win for his planned title defense on June 28 against Yuniel Dorticos, as part of a card broadcast by DAZN.

“I will stop him,” Ramirez told The Ring in an interview following a training session with coach Julian Chua at the Brickhouse Boxing Club.

“They say he's a real cruiserweight, but they said that against the others, too. I feel comfortable, happy, and ready to go against Dorticos. He's a big puncher who has a lot of experience. He's shared the ring with a lot of good fighters. But I’m the champion and I’m ready for whatever he brings. I'll take this fight, but the next one has to be for another one of the titles. That's more exciting for me. I want to be the undisputed champion.”

Ramirez (47-1, 30 KOs) is coming off the most successful year of his 16-year career in 2024, securing unanimous decision victories over Arsen Goulamirian in March to claim the WBA title and Chris Billam-Smith in November to capture the WBO crown.

Dorticos (27-2, 25 KOs), a 39-year-old career-long cruiserweight from Cuba, has been the WBA’s longtime mandatory challenger and will finally get his crack at the crown after rebuilding his career from losses against Murat Gassiev in 2018 and Mairis Briedis in 2020.

“I had great performances in 2024 and it will be better this year,” said Ramirez. “In the Billam-Smith fight, I hurt my shoulder and still beat him not being 100 percent and not able to throw by jab. Now I feel much better. I was expecting a hard fight, but it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. But I don't take anything away from him. He was a great champion and took some hard punches. He hit hard, was strong, and had good stamina, conditioning, and heart. He can be a champion again, but not against me.”

Ramirez is also a former super middleweight title holder who missed out on becoming a champion at 175 pounds during his lone title shot, and career loss, against Dmitry Bivol in 2022.