Heralded two-time Cuban Olympic gold medalist Robeisy Ramirez is set for his long-awaited professional debut.
Ramirez, who defected last year after he left a Cuban national team training camp in Mexico and signed with Top Rank in May, will turn pro against an opponent to be determined on the Top Rank Boxing on ESPN+ card on Aug. 10 (ESPN+, 6:30 p.m. ET) at the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia.
Ramirez, 25, a featherweight fighting out of Gulfport, Florida, likely will compete in a six-round bout. It will take place on the undercard of the show headlined by former two-division world titlist Carl Frampton’s 10-round featherweight bout against Emmanuel Dominguez.
“I started boxing when I was 10 years old,” Ramirez said. “After winning two Olympic gold medals, I knew I wanted to join the world of professional boxing. I hope I can achieve the same success professionally that I did as an amateur, and I believe that Top Rank will provide me with the path to fulfill my dreams.
“I am 25 years old with a lot of experience fighting the best fighters in the world. This is the first step on my journey to a professional world title.”
Ramirez won the 2012 flyweight Olympic gold medal in London, where at age 18 he became the youngest men’s Olympic boxing champion in 32 years.
In 2016 Ramirez won the bantamweight Olympic gold medal in Rio de Janeiro by narrowly outpointing Shakur Stevenson, now an emerging featherweight contender who also is signed to Top Rank. That could mean a professional rematch down the line.