John “Scrappy” Ramirez waits for a title shot as Bam Rodriguez weighs promotion John “Scrappy” Ramirez waits for Bam Rodriguez as the path to the title remains unclear
Los Angeles – John Ramirez has no shortage of ambition, but his path to a world title may depend on decisions beyond his control.
The No. 1 ranked WBA super flyweight fighter is currently in a tough situation as unified champion Jesse Rodriguez weighs a potential weight enhance. If “Bam” vacates the belt, Ramirez will finally be able to get his long-awaited chance at gold.
“I haven’t achieved my goal yet.”
Despite his rise in the rankings, Ramirez is still fueled by unfinished business.
“I have had some unique experiences over the last five years,” Ramirez said. “Deep down, I haven’t achieved my goal yet. I’m isolated and focused on this (winning the world title). I’ve had extra time to travel and train with friends like Regis Prograis in Texas to learn more and stay powerful.”
The Los Angeles native is positioned as one of the top contenders in the division, but the championship picture remains murky and uncertain.
I’m waiting for “Bam” Rodriguez
Rodriguez (23-0, 16 KO) currently holds unified championship titles in the entire league WBA, WBO and WBC in the super flyweight division. However, there is still speculation that he could move up to bantamweight in the face of fresh challenges.
Reports link Rodriguez to a potential fight with Antonio Vargas in June, while leaving the door open to a blockbuster fight with Japanese pound-for-pound star Naoya Inoue.
This uncertainty has created a bottleneck for players like Ramirez.
Be ready despite the uncertainty
Ramirez admits that waiting isn’t basic, but he remains focused on growing and staying vigorous.
“I just have to continue to trust the process in boxing. As a fighter, I don’t like to sit and wait for pieces to move. We have a plan that has options. Regardless of the situation, I will continue to improve and, most importantly, continue to win.”
Ramirez, 29, is in great shape and is determined not to let inactivity stunt his momentum.
Narrow options at the top
Even beyond the WBA title picture, the odds remain complicated.
IBF champion Wilbaldo Garcia Perez currently has a defense scheduled, while other potential opponents are either unavailable or tough to obtain due to rankings and promotion dynamics.
A high-profile fight against future Hall of Famer Roman Gonzalez has been announced, but activity and scheduling concerns make that fight uncertain.
Lessons from his lone defeat
Ramirez’s only professional loss came in 2024 to David Jimenez in a fight for the WBA interim title. He openly admits that it was a learning experience for him.
Since then, he has focused on growth, maturity and preparation for fresh opportunities.
“We will have answers to all these questions in due time.”
While the split resolves itself, Ramirez remains patient and disciplined.
“It’s not an basic task,” Ramirez admitted. “All these questions will be answered in due time. I can’t fight the unknown. I will continue to train strenuous, eat right and surround myself with good people.”
“I am grateful to my promoter, Golden Boy Promotions, for providing me with the right opportunities, and also to my manager (David Shu, 3 Point Management) who has given me the best fights since I turned pro. And of course to my trainer, Julian Chua… I see him every day and he has sacrificed so much for me.”
What’s next for Ramirez?
Ramirez last fought on January 16, earning a decision victory over Byron Rojas and maintaining his position as a top contender.
For now, his future depends on Rodriguez’s next move and how the super flyweight division shapes up in the coming months.
But one thing is clear: when the opportunity arises, “Scrappy” plans to be ready.
Logan Paul wants to pursue a Conor McGregor match. | 📷: Amanda
Westcott/Showtime
Logan
Paul believes
Ultimate Fighting Championship star Conor
McGregor’s recent injury could pave the way for a clash between
the two, as he now considers the Irishman “incapable of
fighting.â€
McGregor returned to action following a five-year hiatus at
UFC 329, headlining opposite former featherweight champion
Max
Holloway. However, their rematch only lasted 69 seconds after
McGregor suffered a knee injury throwing his first kick.
With McGregor far removed from his fighting prime, Paul wants to
take him on.
Logan Paul wants WWE to capitalize on Conor McGregor’s fighting
future
During a recent episode of the “Impaulsive” podcast, Paul discussed
the irony of McGregor's slump after the Irish superstar previously
took shots at professional wrestling and its biggest stars.
“Something I find so funny, he definitely has roasted the WWE and WWE superstars in
the past,†Paul said. “He put out a tweet dissing Roman Reigns;
the Roman Reigns tweet was recently. At the moment, Conor is doing
WWE. He is incapable of fighting.â€
Paul then claimed that he immediately contacted WWE management
after McGregor's defeat, pitching the idea of a future clash
between the two high-profile personalities.
“I don't think WWE will let me fight anyone,†Paul added. “I'll be
honest, I texted my boss after Conor lost. I was like, ‘Bro, Conor
is cooked, do something with it. Make a bag, let me fight him. Big
WWE star versus big WWE star, cause that's what he is now.' He said
that he thinks he's done.â€
McGregor has one fight remaining on his current UFC contract and
has reiterated that he intends to return following knee surgery to
fight out his contract.
Brandon
Royval once missed out on a main event spot in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship due to his social media
following.
Royval was scheduled to fight Askar
Askarov in October 2022 in Las Vegas. Despite being a
high-ranked flyweight contender, he wasn't given the headliner spot
on the card. Alexa
Grasso headlined the card instead, with the Mexican taking on
Viviane
Araujo.
Royval recently revealed that the UFC told him Grasso had jumped
ahead of him to take the main event spot because she had
substantially more social media followers. He was livid at losing
out on a headlining role, although it eventually didn't matter as
Askarov pulled out due to weight cut issues.
“Having followers is such a big deal,†Royval told Ariel Helwani.
“I remember they didn’t book me as the main event, and their
reasoning was, I think it was Alexa Grasso, who they boosted in
front of me. They were like, ‘She has way more followers than you.'
But Askarov pulled out of that fight anyway, so it didn't matter. I
was pissed.â€
The incident made Royval (18-9) reconsider the importance of social
media in the modern era. “Raw Dawg†has since started engaging more
consistently with fans online.
Royval was recently in attendance at
UFC 328 this past May at Prudential Center in Newark, New
Jersey. While Royval's name was displayed on the arena's screen,
the camera focused on a woman sitting next to the former
LFA champion. After the moment started gaining traction on
social media, Royval posted a video with the woman, which garnered
massive engagement on his Instagram.
Social media aside, Royval's performances inside the Octagon have
also boosted his profile. He recently scored a submission win over
Lone'er
Kavanagh at
UFC 329 to rebound from a two-fight skid, earning a Fight of
the Night bonus as well.
“I remember they didn’t book me as a main
event and the reasoning was like, ‘I think she has way more
followers than you.'” pic.twitter.com/n1YveVeOU6
Axel
Sola considers his last defeat in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship an “alpha loss.â€
Sola put his perfect record on the line in a lightweight tilt
against Mason Jones
at
UFC London this past March. Sola and Jones put on a
back-and-forth slugfest for 15 minutes that stole the show. While
the French lightweight suffered a decision loss, both fighters
walked home with an extra $100k each after earning Fight of the
Night honors.
Sola has now outlined the positives of his last bout.
Axel Sola explains the impact of his Mason Jones loss before
UFC Abu Dhabi
Despite losing his undefeated record, Sola believes it made him a
better fighter. The Frenchman also claims that the loss earned him
more stardom and money than his past 11 wins.
“Great experience,†he said in a recent interview when asked about
his last fight. “It definitely made me a better fighter. In one
loss, I had more gain in visibility and money than in 11 wins. So,
it was an alpha loss, let's say.â€
Sola (11-1-1) is now scheduled to face Ismael
Bonfim (20-6) at
UFC Abu Dhabi on July 25 at Etihad Arena on Yas Island. Bonfim
is 2-3 in the UFC and coming off back-to-back stoppage losses. Sola
is not only looking to get his hands raised, but is eager to do so
in emphatic fashion.
“A win is good, but the quality of the win is even more important,â€
he added. “So, it will all depend on the way I win.â€
“The reward is better if I manage to put on
a show.”
After delivering one of 2026's most exciting fights, Axel Sola
looks to bring the action once again when he faces Ismael
Bonfim at
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