Ramirez-Postol, Take 3... the twice-postponed showdown between WBC/WBO junior welterweight champion Jose Ramirez (pictured) and former WBC title holder Viktor “The Iceman” Postol (31-2, 12 KOs) will take place at the MGM Grand Conference Center Saturday, Aug. 29th. Ramirez and Postol were first set to fight on February 2nd in China and May 9th in Fresno, Calif., but due to the coronavirus pandemic, both were subsequently canceled. This time, they will enter the Top Rank Bubble in Las Vegas. In the ten-round junior welterweight co-feature, unbeaten Arnold Barboza Jr., from South El Monte, Calif., will fight Canadian veteran Tony “Lightning” Luis in his toughest test to date. Ramirez-Postol and Barboza-Luis will stream live on ESPN+ beginning at 10 p.m ET, with undercard action to stream live at 7:30 p.m. ET.

 

“Jose has stayed in the gym with his great trainer, Robert Garcia, throughout the pandemic,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “I have no doubt we will see the best version of Jose Ramirez, a wonderful young man and one of the world’s best fighters. He will need to be on his game because Postol is a worthy contender who has proven himself at the world-class level.”

 

Ramirez (25-0, 17 KOs) enters the fight coming off a career-high 13-month layoff. Last July, he knocked out Maurice Hooker to unify the WBC and WBO titles. Since winning the vacant WBC title against Amir Imam in March 2018, Ramirez defeated the previously undefeated Antonio Orozco, Jose Zepeda and then Hooker. The Orozco and Zepeda title defenses took place in front of more than 10,000 fans at Fresno’s Save Mart Center, a short drive from his hometown of Avenal.

 

During the early stages of the pandemic, Ramirez teamed up with Central Valley community leaders to assist the region’s agricultural workers. With Ramirez leading the way, they donated essential supplies and more than 1,000 wellness boxes, which included N95 masks, paper towels, toilet paper, rice, masa, beans and hand sanitizer. Ramirez now turns his focus to Postol , a former WBC world champion whose only two losses have come against current IBF/WBA junior welterweight champion Josh Taylor and current WBO welterweight champion Terence Crawford. Postol has won two bouts since the Taylor defeat, most recently topping Mohamed Mimoune via decision last April in Las Vegas.

 

"I’m excited to finally be back. It’s always an honor stepping into the ring, fighting a guy like Postol and defending my belts,” Ramirez said. “God knows that my goal is to become the undisputed champion, and this gets me one step closer to my goal."

 

Postol said, “I'm just looking forward to fighting. I'm coming to win those world titles. I have been training since this fight was first announced, so I'm focused and ready to go.”