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.
Yadong
Song believes Usman
Nurmagomedov didn't mean to cause trouble by jumping the cage
following his brother Umar
Nurmagomedov's knockout loss.
Song (24-9-1) was a massive underdog against Usman's brother, Umar
(20-2), going into their recent main event clash in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship. However, Song flatlined Umar
with an uppercut in the second round in a huge upset. Usman
immediately jumped inside the Octagon and rushed towards his
unconscious brother, nearly colliding with Song.
The
Professional Fighters League star even appeared to
instinctively load up on an elbow strike as Song ran past him, but
didn't follow through.
Song explains why he believes Usman Nurmagomedov wasn’t trying
to attack him
Song has now come to Usman's defense after the unbeaten Russian
drew criticism online for his post-fight actions at
UFC Shanghai. The Chinese bantamweight notes that an official
rushed towards Usman as soon as he jumped the cage. According to
Song, he then almost collided with Usman, who put his hands up in
defense. The former also fully understands the latter's actions,
considering he'd just witnessed his older brother get knocked
out.
“Watching the slow motion, it looked like he was turning around to
throw an elbow or something, but actually I understand because they
are brothers, you know?†Song said in a recent interview. “The
internet said he wanted to maliciously attack me; he just thought I
was going over to attack him. Because he went over to check on his
brother, and suddenly someone runs over, as you'd definitely react
that way.â€
“The Kung Fu Kid†believes the PFL lightweight champ must have
already been startled by the official running towards him.
“He thought I was going to attack him,†Song added. “Because when
he went to see it, a person suddenly ran over. You can see it in
slow motion; he closed his eyes. And then I ran over there and he
defended it. That's it.â€
ðŸ™ŒðŸ—£ï¸ Song Yadong speaks on Usman
Nurmagomedov jumping the cage, he believes Usman did NOT intend
on maliciously attacking him:
“Watching the slow motion, it looked like he was turning around to
throw an elbow or something, but actually I understand because they
are brothers,…
— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight)
September 1, 2026
Ce Liu
claims he has unfinished business with Junior
Tafa.
Liu (4-1) was scheduled to make his
Ultimate Fighting Championship debut against Tafa (7-6) in
front of a home crowd in Shanghai, China, on Aug. 29. However, Tafa
withdrew due to undisclosed reasons five days before fight night
and was replaced on short notice by Levi
Rodrigues, who suffered a first-round knockout loss to Liu.
Ce Liu calls for Junior Tafa fight after first-round UFC
Shanghai knockout
The Liu vs. Rodrigues bout was a fast-paced back-and-forth affair,
with both fighters having moments of success before Liu piled on
the pressure in the final minute of the first round. The Chinese
light heavyweight ultimately flatlined his Brazilian counterpart,
opening his account in the UFC in style.
Liu subsequently called for a rebooking against Tafa.
“I want to challenge someone — my last opponent,†Liu said
backstage after his win. “I want to settle the score with him in
our next match.â€
“The Oriental Dragon†has finished all four of his pro wins so far,
going past the first round only once in victory. Meanwhile, Tafa is
3-6 in the UFC and coming off a first-round knockout loss against
Iwo
Baraniewski.
🚨FIGHTER CALLOUT🚨
Liu Ce Calls Out Junior Tafa
After His
#UFCShanghai Win To Rebook a Fight With Him!
Who Wins This Matchup If Rebooked 🧠pic.twitter.com/tTrWTLJXR1
Usman
Nurmagomedov once bought a car from Petr Yan.
Nurmagomedov is the most sought-after free agent in mixed martial
arts, with the
Ultimate Fighting Championship rumored to be keen on signing
the latest
Professional Fighters League lightweight titleholder. Yan, the
current UFC bantamweight champ, recently revealed that the unbeaten
Dagestani once bought a rare BMW from him.
Petr Yan says Usman Nurmagomedov bought his limited-edition BMW
X5
Yan used to own a BMW X5, which now belongs to Nurmagomedov. There
were only 250 of the limited-edition X5 in the whole world in the
color owned by Yan and only 12 in Russia.
“Khabib
Nurmagomedov's brother, Usman, bought that car from me later,â€
Yan said in an interview with Kickdown. “There were only 12 of
these cars in Russia, and only 250 in the world. There were 12 in
Russia in this specific color.â€
While Nurmagomedov and Yan are from different camps, they share a
lot of mutual respect, even though the former's brother, Umar,
competes in the division ruled by Yan. “No Mercy†will look to
defend his title against Merab Davlishvili at
UFC 333 in October in Abu Dhabi.
Meanwhile, the PFL has a 90-day exclusive negotiation window since
Nurmagomedov's last bout and he's revealed that he's already turned
down an offer for $2 million per fight. A recent Instagram post hints at a UFC move looming.
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