Arsen Goulamirian vs. Gilberto Ramirez: Date, time, how to watch, background

Cruiserweight titleholder Arsen Goulamirian is scheduled to defend his belt against Gilberto Ramirez on Friday in Inglewood, California. ARSEN GOULAMIRIAN (27-0, 19 KOs) VS. GILBERTO RAMIREZ (45-1, 30 KOs) Date: (...)

Cruiserweight titleholder Arsen Goulamirian is scheduled to defend his belt against Gilberto Ramirez on Friday in Inglewood, California.

ARSEN GOULAMIRIAN (27-0, 19 KOs)
VS. GILBERTO RAMIREZ (45-1, 30 KOs)

Arsen Goulamirian (right) will be defending his 200-pound title for the fifth time against Gilberto Ramirez.  Gerard Julien / AFP via Getty Images

• Date: Friday, March 29
• Time: 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
• Where: YouTube Theater, Inglewood, California
• TV/Stream: DAZN
• Division: Cruiserweight (200 pounds)
• At stake: Goulamirian’s WBA title
• Pound-for-pound: None
• Odds: Ramirez 2½-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
• Significance (up to five stars): ****
• Also on the card: Alexis Rocha vs. Fredrick Lawson, welterweights; Ricardo Sandoval vs. Luis Hernandez, flyweights; Santiago Dominguez vs. Jose Sanchez, welterweights; Kareem Hackett vs. Rowdy Montgomenry, light heavyweights
• Background: Goulamirian will be defending his 200-pound title for the fifth time but has been unusually inactive over the past four-plus years, a period in which the California-based Frenchman has fought only once. He was out of the ring for three years between 2019 and 2022 because of illness (COVID 19) and other issues. He finally returned in November 2022, when he easily outpointed Aleksei Ergorov in France. The 36-year-old trains with Abel Sanchez in Big Bear, California. The well-connected Ramirez is getting his second title shot in three fights, having lost a one-sided decision to 175-pound champ Dmitry Bivol in 2022. He bounced back to outclass former beltholder Joe Smith Jr. in his 200-pound debut last October, winning a near-shutout decision. Ramirez is a former 168-pound titleholder.