Chris Billam-Smith fights outside the UK for the first time as he takes on Gilberto Ramirez in a huge unification bout in Saudi Arabia.
The 34-year-old will put his WBO cruiserweight title on the line on Saturday night, a belt he has held since a memorable night in front of his home fans in Bournemouth when he beat Lawrence Okolie on points in May 2023.
Billam-Smith has since defended his strap by beating Mateusz Masternak and then proving too good for British rival Richard Riakporhe at Selhurst Park earlier this year, avenging the sole defeat of his professional career and setting the stage for his biggest night to date. David Haye in 2008 was the last British fighter to unify at cruiserweight.
Ramirez is WBA champion at 200lbs, having previously reigned at super-middleweight. The Mexican picked up the cruiserweight title in March when he beat Arsen Goulamirian on points and he now fights as a champion in the division for the first time.
The 33-year-old boasts a professional record of 46-1, with that sole defeat coming when he challenged Dmitry Bivol at light-heavyweight two years ago. Ramirez went the full 12 rounds with one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the sport, but lost a unanimous decision.
Promoter Ben Shalom has insisted victory for his fighter Billam-Smith would leave him on the road to undisputed glory, with IBF champion Jai Opetaia next on the wishlist.
Ramirez vs Billam-Smith fight date and venue
Ramirez and Billam-Smith will fight on Saturday November 16, 2024.
The event is taking place at The Venue in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Ramirez vs Billam-Smith fight time and ring walks
The card is expected to begin at 5pm GMT on Saturday evening, which is 8pm local time in Saudi Arabia.
The ring walks for the main event are pencilled in for around 10pm GMT, though that could be pushed back depending on the length of the undercard bouts.
How to watch Ramirez vs Billam-Smith
TV channel: The card will be broadcast on Sky Sports Mix from 5pm GMT on Saturday evening and from 10pm on Sky Sports Main Event.
It will also be available to watch on DAZN, at no additional cost to subscribers.
Live stream: Subscribers will be able to watch on a live stream via the Sky Go app or the DAZN platforms.
Live blog: Round-by-round coverage of the whole event can also be found via Standard Sport’s live fight night blog.
Ramirez vs Billam-Smith undercard
Earlier in the night, Oscar Collazo puts his WBO minimumweight world title on the line against Thammanoon Niyomtrong, in what is his fourth defence of that belt.
Former unified light-welterweight champion Jose Ramirez, who was beaten by Josh Taylor in 2021, continues his rebuild back towards the top of the sport, fighting the undefeated Arnold Barbosa Jr.
Gilberto Ramirez vs Chris Billam-Smith
Jose Carlos Ramirez vs Arnold Barbosa Jr
Oscar Collazo vs Thammanoon Niyomtrong
William Zepeda Segura vs Tevin Farmer
Oscar Duarte Jurado vs Botirzhon Akhmedov
Ramirez vs Billam-Smith prediction
The promotion of "Latino Night" card makes it clear that Billam-Smith is not billed as the star attraction for Saturday night’s main event.
That will not bother him, though, with the British fighter a laid-back character and not one who will be craving all the attention that comes with these Riyadh Season events.
Billam-Smith has improved significantly in recent years, as seen with a dominant win over Riakporhe in June, five years on from losing to his fellow Briton.
This, though, is a major step up. Ramirez is hugely experienced at the top level, making five defences of his super-middleweight world title before moving up, and only the elite Bivol has a win over the Mexican.
Billam-Smith should be the more natural at the weight, with Ramirez having only had a couple of fights at cruiserweight, and he will as ever look to force the pace and intensity throughout.
Ramirez is a southpaw and that is a test Billam-Smith has had limited experience of, while the Mexican has showed throughout his career that he has a good chin. Whether Ramirez carries the knockout power at cruiserweight is a question that will be answered in time, but that might not be necessary here if he can control proceedings over 12 rounds.
Ramirez to win, unanimous decision
Ramirez vs Billam-Smith weigh-in results
The fighters will take to the scales on Friday - check back in then for the results!
Ramirez vs Billam-Smith latest odds
Ramirez to win: 4/9
Billam-Smith to win: 9/5
Draw: 16/1
Ramirez to win on points or by decision: 7/5
Ramirez to win by knockout, technical knockout or disqualification: 21/10
Billam-Smith to win on points or by decision: 11/4
Billam-Smith to win by knockout, technical knockout or disqualification: 6/1
Odds via Betfair (subject to change).
