Jose Ramirez is set to defend his world title in front of his hometown fans once more.
Top Rank Boxing announced that Ramirez will defend his WBC junior welterweight title against Jose Zepeda on February 10, 2019 at the Save Mart Center in Fresno California. The fight will headline a special edition of Top Rank Boxing on ESPN starting at 7 p.m. ET.
This will be Ramirez's second world title defense since winning it this past March against Amir Imam at Madison Square Garden. After his first title defense against Danny O'Connor was postponed, Ramirez was eventually put in a fight against previously-unbeaten fighter Antonio Orozco in September. Ramirez won that fight with a wide unanimous decision thanks to knockdowns scored in the fourth and eighth rounds.
Zepeda is a former world title challenger who has been on a seven-fight win streak, winning five of those fights by knockout. In Zepeda's only world title challenge, his fight against Terry Flanagan for the WBO lightweight title ended in two rounds after Zepeda dislocated his left shoulder and the referee waved off the bout. Zepeda is currently the No. 3 junior welterweight in the WBO rankings and the No. 9 lightweight in the WBA rankings.
The fight is the latest title bout to be added to Top Rank's schedule for early February. The company is set to host three world title fights in Frisco, Texas on February 2 with the company adding Oscar Valdez vs. Carmine Tommasone for the WBO featherweight title.
