MIAMI, FL — Robeisy Ramirez, the two-time Olympic gold medalist, took a significant step in his comeback journey by knocking out Mexico’s Brandon Leon Benitez in the seventh round of their scheduled 10-round featherweight bout. The fight was part of the undercard for the Teofimo Lopez Jr.-Steve Claggett WBO/Ring Magazine junior welterweight world championship at the James L. Knight Center.
Ramirez (14-2, 9 KOs) dominated the fight, showcasing his speed and skill against the overmatched Benitez (21-3, 9 KOs). The Cuban featherweight southpaw ended the bout with a devastating left uppercut at 2:46 of the seventh round.
“It’s no secret that Ismael Salas is one of the best strategists in the world,” Ramirez said post-fight. “The plan was to wear him down little by little. After the last round, he told me to move a bit and return to my roots. That’s what I did. I touched and touched, and I found the shot.”
Ramirez's performance demonstrated his hard work in training camp. He expressed his desire for a rematch against Rafael Espinoza, who handed him his second career loss and took his WBO featherweight title last December. “I want my title back,” Ramirez stated. “I want the rematch against Rafael Espinoza. If it’s not with him, then I can fight against any of the other champions.”
In other action, Nico Ali Walsh avenged his only professional loss with a unanimous, though controversial, decision over Sona Akale (9-2, 4 KOs) in a six-round middleweight bout. Walsh (11-1, 5 KOs) won by scores of 58-55 and 57-56 (2). Despite a dislocated shoulder in the sixth round, Walsh continued to fight, displaying bravery reminiscent of his famous grandfather.
Junior welterweight Emiliano Fernando Vargas (11-0, 9 KOs) made quick work of Jose Zaragoza (9-9-2, 3 KOs), winning by first-round stoppage at 1:32. Vargas, son of Fernando Vargas, overwhelmed Zaragoza from the start, securing an early knockout.
Elvis Rodriguez (16-1-1, 13 KOs) returned from an 11-month layoff to defeat Filipino Jino Rodrigo (12-4-2, 10 KOs) by unanimous decision in a scheduled 10-round junior welterweight bout. Rodriguez overcame an early knockdown to dominate the fight, winning by scores of 98-91 (2) and 97-92.
Lorenzo Medina (11-0, 9 KOs) won a six-round unanimous decision over Detrailous Webster (7-4, 3 KOs), with scores of 60-54, 60-53, and 59-55. Medina overcame early trouble to secure the win in an entertaining, if sloppy, contest.
Junior welterweight Rohan Polanco (13-0, 8 KOs) stopped Luis Hernandez (23-4, 20 KOs) at 2:28 of the second round in a scheduled eight-rounder. Featherweight Yan Santana (12-0, 11 KOs) went the distance for the first time, winning a unanimous decision over Brandon Valdes (15-5, 7 KOs) with scores of 98-91 (2) and 96-93.
In the night's opening bout, middleweight Euri Cedeno (9-0-1, 8 KOs) quickly dispatched Dormedes Potes (14-7-1, 10 KOs) with a first-round knockout at 58 seconds in a scheduled eight-rounder.