Top Rank on ESPN presents a doubleheader Kubrat Pulev vs. Bogdan Dinu, Jessie Magdaleno vs. Rico Ramos live from The Hangar in Costa Mesa, California on March 23rd Live on ESPN.
Kubrat Pulev (26-1, 13 KOs) is the number 1 ranked IBF heavyweight contender and signed a multiyear co-promotional deal with US-based Top Rank promotions.
The 37-year-old from Bulgaria only has one professional defeat that occurred in 2014 in his one and only world title shot to then champion Wladimir Klitschko. Pulev was stopped in round 5 by Klitschko.
Tonight will be Pulev’s first fight on US soil and under the Top Rank banner, he will take on Romanian Bogdan Dinu (18-1, 14 KOs) in a ten round main event.
A win tonight could lead Pulev to a title shot against undefeated British heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua.
In the co-feature, former super-bantamweight world champions Jessie Magdaleno and Rico Ramos will step up to the featherweight division in a make or break 10-rounder .
Magdaleno (25-1, 18 KOs) hasn’t fought since losing his WBO title in an upset against Isaac Dogboe in April of 2018. Magdaleno blames the difficulty to make 122-pounds for his poor showing against Dogboe, and moved up a division to featherweight so his body isn’t drained from the weight cut.
Ramos (30-5, 14 KOs) became a WBA world champion in 2011 when he defeated Japanese champion Akifumi Shimoda by knockout. He wasn’t able to hold the title for very long because he lost it in his very next fight to two-time Olympic Gold medalist Guillermo Rigondeaux by 6th round stoppage.
Tonight both Madgaleno and Ramos are fighting for redemption and a chance to prove they can become a champion once again.
Top Rank on ESPN Fight Card March 23
Heavyweight – Kubrat Pulev vs. Bogdan Dinu
Featherweight – Jessie Magdaleno vs. Rico Ramos
Watch the fights live on Saturday, March 23, 2019 at 10:00 pm ET/7:00 pm PT on ESPN
