Gilberto "Zurdo" Ramirez put on a masterclass to dominate Chris Billam-Smith in the headline bout at Riyadh Season Latino night, adding the Briton's WBO cruiserweight belt to his WBA strap.
Billam-Smith made a fast start in Riyadh and was on top in the opening round, landing a succession of right hands and raising the prospect that his natural size advantage could prove a real problem for Ramirez.
But the Mexican swiftly found his range and rhythm, catching Billam-Smith clean on a regular basis opening cuts on the Briton’s nose and eye by the end of the sixth round. The referee called the doctor to have a close inspection, but Billam-Smith was allowed to continue.
While Billam-Smith showed tremendous heart, continuing to engage Ramirez at close range, the Mexican simply had the sharper tools and picked his opponent off at will in front of a capacity crowd in Riyadh that included members of English Premier League club Newcastle United.
The final 30 seconds of Round 12 saw both fighters exchange punches in the centre of the ring, but there was little doubt who would prevail when the judges' scorecards were tallied. All three had the result for Ramirez, 116-112, 116-112 and 116-113.
Promoter Oscar De La Hoya has talked about Ramirez becoming an undisputed champion, holding all four titles, and taking on reigning WBC-WBA-WBO world heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk if the Ukrainian returns to cruiserweight next year.
Ramirez, a former super-middleweight world champion, now holds two belts at 200lbs and has set the stage for a potential bout against IBF champion Jai Opetaia.
The Australian has fought his last three fights in Saudi Arabia, most recently stopping Britain’s Jack Massey last month, and Ramirez called for another title showdown.
"Yeah, of course, I want to unify with all the champions and that's the main goal for me," Ramirez said. "And I think for all the champions, too."
Such a blockbuster fight would pit Ramirez (47-1 with 30 KOs) against the undefeated Australian Opetaia (26-0, 20 KOs) in a clash of styles that would make for a must-see encounter.
Victory over Billam-Smith offered Ramirez a measure of redemption on his return to the Middle East. The Mexican was comprehensively outclassed by Dmitry Bivol in Abu Dhabi on a chastening quest for light heavyweight glory two years ago.
"I feel great, I'm proud of what I did. I prepare for tough guys, he's a tough fighter, he was a champion," Ramirez said of Billam-Smith. "It's an honour for me to fight him and get the belt."
Saturday night marked the second loss of Billam-Smith's career, his last coming in 2019 to Richard Riakporhe – he now falls to 20-2 in his professional record. It was also the Brit's first time fighting outside of the UK.
“A bit of irony – my initials are CBS and I say consistency builds success,” Billam-Smith said in the ring after the fight. “The consistency of Zurdo tonight was what won it for him. Full respect.”
On the impact of the cuts he suffered, Billam-Smith added: “It’s part of the sport. At times it was going blurry and closing a bit, and in between rounds the cut-man was doing a great job.
“There were a few rounds there where I couldn’t really see out of that eye. But no excuses, it was his work that got it done.”
Earlier in the evening, Arnold Barboza boosted his hopes of a title shot by unanimously outpointing Californian rival Jose Ramirez in a 10-round super lightweight clash.
Barboza was the busier fighter and, despite Ramirez (29-2, 18 KOs) stepping up the pressure in the latter rounds, took a close decision by scores of 97-93, 96-94 and 96-94.
Barboza, 32, was much improved from his split decision win over Sean McComb in April, and afterwards called for a shot at WBO champion Teofimo Lopez.
"I was close to hanging the gloves up a few years ago," said Barboza, who is the WBO No 1 challenger.
"I got a fresh start, and this was the fight I have been wanting. I hope the WBO forgive me for not paying the sanctioning fee [to make the fight versus Ramirez a title eliminator] and keep me No 1."
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
SERIE A FIXTURES
Friday Sassuolo v Torino (Kick-off 10.45pm UAE)
Saturday Atalanta v Sampdoria (5pm),
Genoa v Inter Milan (8pm),
Lazio v Bologna (10.45pm)
Sunday Cagliari v Crotone (3.30pm)
Benevento v Napoli (6pm)
Parma v Spezia (6pm)
Fiorentina v Udinese (9pm)
Juventus v Hellas Verona (11.45pm)
Monday AC Milan v AS Roma (11.45pm)
THE SPECS
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed dual clutch
Power: 710bhp
Torque: 770Nm
Speed: 0-100km/h 2.9 seconds
Top Speed: 340km/h
Price: Dh1,000,885
On sale: now
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If you go
Flying
Despite the extreme distance, flying to Fairbanks is relatively simple, requiring just one transfer in Seattle, which can be reached directly from Dubai with Emirates for Dh6,800 return.
Touring
Gondwana Ecotours’ seven-day Polar Bear Adventure starts in Fairbanks in central Alaska before visiting Kaktovik and Utqiarvik on the North Slope. Polar bear viewing is highly likely in Kaktovik, with up to five two-hour boat tours included. Prices start from Dh11,500 per person, with all local flights, meals and accommodation included; gondwanaecotours.com
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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Need to know
When: October 17 until November 10
Cost: Entry is free but some events require prior registration
Where: Various locations including National Theatre (Abu Dhabi), Abu Dhabi Cultural Center, Zayed University Promenade, Beach Rotana (Abu Dhabi), Vox Cinemas at Yas Mall, Sharjah Youth Center
What: The Korea Festival will feature art exhibitions, a B-boy dance show, a mini K-pop concert, traditional dance and music performances, food tastings, a beauty seminar, and more.
For more information: www.koreafestivaluae.com
Match info:
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Sterling (8'), Walker (52')
Newcastle United 1
Yedlin (30')
Common OCD symptoms and how they manifest
Checking: the obsession or thoughts focus on some harm coming from things not being as they should, which usually centre around the theme of safety. For example, the obsession is “the building will burn down”, therefore the compulsion is checking that the oven is switched off.
Contamination: the obsession is focused on the presence of germs, dirt or harmful bacteria and how this will impact the person and/or their loved ones. For example, the obsession is “the floor is dirty; me and my family will get sick and die”, the compulsion is repetitive cleaning.
Orderliness: the obsession is a fear of sitting with uncomfortable feelings, or to prevent harm coming to oneself or others. Objectively there appears to be no logical link between the obsession and compulsion. For example,” I won’t feel right if the jars aren’t lined up” or “harm will come to my family if I don’t line up all the jars”, so the compulsion is therefore lining up the jars.
Intrusive thoughts: the intrusive thought is usually highly distressing and repetitive. Common examples may include thoughts of perpetrating violence towards others, harming others, or questions over one’s character or deeds, usually in conflict with the person’s true values. An example would be: “I think I might hurt my family”, which in turn leads to the compulsion of avoiding social gatherings.
Hoarding: the intrusive thought is the overvaluing of objects or possessions, while the compulsion is stashing or hoarding these items and refusing to let them go. For example, “this newspaper may come in useful one day”, therefore, the compulsion is hoarding newspapers instead of discarding them the next day.
Source: Dr Robert Chandler, clinical psychologist at Lighthouse Arabia
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Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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Results
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LILO & STITCH
Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Rating: 4.5/5
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Mansoor Al Shehail won the 50-man Battle Royal
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THE SPECS
Engine: Four-cylinder 2.5-litre
Transmission: Seven-speed auto
Power: 165hp
Torque: 241Nm
Price: Dh99,900 to Dh134,000
On sale: now
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The specs: 2019 Subaru Forester
Price, base: Dh105,900 (Premium); Dh115,900 (Sport)
Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder
Transmission: Continuously variable transmission
Power: 182hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 239Nm @ 4,400rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.1L / 100km (estimated)
The biog
Name: Shamsa Hassan Safar
Nationality: Emirati
Education: Degree in emergency medical services at Higher Colleges of Technology
Favourite book: Between two hearts- Arabic novels
Favourite music: Mohammed Abdu and modern Arabic songs
Favourite way to spend time off: Family visits and spending time with friends
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Real Madrid 1
Ronaldo (87')
Athletic Bilbao 1
Williams (14')
MATCH INFO
Manchester United 2 (Heaton (og) 42', Lindelof 64')
Aston Villa 2 (Grealish 11', Mings 66')
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Newcastle United 0 Tottenham Hotspur 2
Tottenham (Alli 61'), Davies (70')
Red card Jonjo Shelvey (Newcastle)
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