Boxer Jose Ramirez ready for first international pro bout, in China

Jose Ramirez has fought 14 times in his young professional boxing career and all of his fights have taken place in the U.S.

For this 15th pro bout, the Avenal native and 2012 U.S. Olympian boarded a flight last week for a 14-hour, 7,125-mile trip to Macau, China, where he will square off against Ryusei Yoshida of Kumamoto, Japan, in a scheduled eight-round lightweight bout at the CotaiArena at The Venetian.

The fight, which is scheduled for about 6 a.m. PDT Saturday, will be shown tape-delayed on UniMas (Comcast channel 12) at 11 p.m. Saturday.

Ramirez (14-0, 11 KOs) has been gaining fans through his career, with four fights already in Fresno and others in Carson, Las Vegas, Oklahoma and Texas. He’s hoping to come away with more in China. Yoshida enters with a 26-7 record with 13 knockouts.

“It really helps me to get more support,” Ramirez said of fighting internationally. “The fan base over there is great. I feel like my fan base will increase after the fight.”

Ramirez has seen fights from China and said he liked how fans get into the action. Saturday’s fight should be no exception when former four-division title-holder Nonito Donaire co-headlines the event with Ramirez on SoloBoxeo.

“That’s something I want: to be able to go out there and showcase my talents in front of a different culture in a different country,” Ramirez said.

Top Rank chief Bob Arum, who has promoted eight shows in Macau, said having Ramirez fight in China was a “very important move to make.”

“So he could be seen by the Chinese fans,” Arum said. “It’s a natural thing to do.”

Ramirez’s agent/promoter, Rick Mirigian, said this exposure is needed if Ramirez wants to get to the next level.

“I have always believed Ramirez was a future star in the sport and the future is quickly becoming the present,” Mirigian said. “He has now fought his way from Avenal to around the globe. … His aggressive style and exciting ring action will sure to welcome a international fan base as he continues a strong 2015.”

Ramirez wants to leave a lasting impression in China.

“I feel feel very thankful for the opportunity to fight in Macau,” Ramirez said. “It’s going to to be an experience that I won’t forget.”

This story was originally published July 16, 2015 at 6:34 PM with the headline "Boxer Jose Ramirez ready for first international pro bout, in China."