Former unified light welterweight champion Jose Ramirez faces Rances Barthelemy in the 12-round main event tonight live on DAZN at the Save Mart Arena in Fresno, California. The start time for the event on DAZN is at 8:00 p.m. ET. The Ramirez vs. Barthelemy ringwalks are scheduled 11 p.m. ET / 4 a.m. UK.
In the chief support bout, Vergil Ortiz fights Thomas Dulorme in a 10-round fight at middleweight.
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B24 will give live updates of the results below tonight.
Light welterweight contender Oscar Duarte (27-2-1, 22 KOs) wore down and stopped former IBF super featherweight champion Joseph ‘JoJo’ Diaz (33-6-1, 15 KOs) in the ninth round. Duarte trapped the 31-year-old Diaz against the ropes in the ninth round and unloaded with a flurry of heavy shots, resulting in referee Michael Margado stepping in to halt the fight.
Just as he was stopping it, JoJo Diaz’s corner threw in the towel. The time of the stoppage was at 2:32 of round nine.
“The plan was to bring pressure and win every single round,” said Duarte after the fight. “It’s a big difference with Robert Garcia. He’s a great trainer. I want the best. I’m in the position to fight the best for whatever comes.”
“I didn’t think I was hurt. I thought I was winning the last round. In my previous fights, I was getting hit more. I don’t know why the referee stopped the fight. I’ll be back,” said Diaz after the fight. “I’ll keep positive. I’ll be back.”
JoJo Diaz’s record in his last six fights is 1-5 since 2021, and it’s hard to believe how his career has gone downhill in the last three years. It’s clear from watching this fight that Diaz doesn’t belong at 140, and he’s not cut out for 135 either.
Diaz needs to find a way to return to 130, if possible. He’s not powerful enough to fight at lightweight and above. Even 130 might not be a good idea. If Diaz can get back down to 126, his power would improve, but he might be too old to get back down to featherweight without draining himself.
Gabriela Alaniz (15-1, 6 KOs) used nonstop pressure and combination punching to defeat Marlen Esparza (15-2, 1 KOs) by a ten-round split decision to capture the vacant WBA/WBC/WBO flyweight female championship.
The scores were 98-92 for Esparza, 97-93, and 96-94 for the Argentinian Alaniz. Esparza had lost her titles on the scales on Friday when she came in overweight. Alaniz was on fire through the first four rounds, nailing Espaza with machine-gun combinations.
From the fifth round, Esparza jabbed and moved around the ring to avoid the shots from Alaniz. It looked negative by Esparza because she was only throwing jabs, and trying not to get hit. The two judges that scored it for Alaniz obviously were more impressed with the pressure that she was applying, as she was trying to make the fight.
Welterweight prospect Raul Curiel (15-0, 13 KOs) destroyed veteran Jorge Marron Jr. (20-5-2, 7 KOs), stopping him in the first round. The 2016 Olympian Curiel dropped Marron Jr. twice with lefts to the body. Referee Thomas Taylor halted the contest after the second knockdown.
The stoppage occurred at 1:31 of round one. Marron Jr. retreated after the first knockdown, but Curiel quickly caught up to him and nailed him with a second left to the body, putting him down again.
The referee then counted out Marron, who shook his head to let him know that he wasn’t going to be able to get back up. Curiel wants a step up next against possibly Alexis Rocha.
The former WBC/WBO 140-lb champion Jose Ramirez (28-1, 18 KOs) is getting a warm-up fight with his first contest after recently signing with Golden Boy Promotions.
The 31-year-old Ramirez has been inactive for 13 months, so it makes sense that he’s been brought back slowly against Rances Barthelemy (30-2-1, 15 KO).
DAZN Main Card (8:00 pm ET)
– Jose Ramirez vs. Rances Barthelemy
– Vergil Ortiz Jr vs. Thomas Dulorme
– Oscar Duarte vs. Joseph Diaz Jr
– Marlen Esparza vs. Gabriela Alaniz
– Raul Curiel vs. Jorge Marron Jr
Vergil Ortiz’s Must-Win Scenario
Former welterweight contender Vergil Ortiz (20-0, 20 KOs) must win tonight against Thomas Dulorme (26-6-1, 17 KO) to keep his slot against Tim Tszyu on the August 3rd card in Los Angeles.
Ortiz, 26, has spent most of his career at 147 but is forced to move up after repeated medical issues that some attribute to him boiling down to fight in a weight class that was too hard on his body.
Also on tonight’s card, Oscar Duarte (26-2-1, 21 KOs) will fight former super featherweight champion Joseph ‘JoJo’ Diaz Jr (33-5-1, 15 KO) in a 10-round fight at light welterweight.
