Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez is convinced he will leave Abu Dhabi in November a two-time world champion, saying he is “prepared for everything” thrown at him by WBA light-heavyweight title-holder Dmitry Bivol.
Ramirez, the former WBO super-middleweight champion, takes on arguably his greatest test to date on November 5, when he faces Bivol in the headline bout at Etihad Arena.
The fight night, announced last month, marks the first "Champions Series" event of the recently signed agreement between the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi and Matchroom Boxing.
Unbeaten in all 44 professional fights, Ramirez represents the WBA mandatory challenger at light heavyweight after winning all five of his bouts since jumping up to 175 lbs in 2019. All five victories have come by knockout.
The Mexican, 31, defeated Dominic Boesel last time out in May, and now puts on the line his unbeaten record against fellow undefeated pro Bivol. Russia's Bivol sits at 20-0, with May’s dominant points victory against Saul “Canelo” Alvarez the eighth successful defence of his WBA crown.
Asked if November 5 therefore ranked as the greatest challenge of his pro career, Ramirez told The National: “I think it’s not the biggest. I’ve been fighting for a long time with the top fighters, but at the end of the day it’s a good challenge.
Bivol beats Canelo via unanimous decision - in pictures
“It’s what I want. I want the belt. It’s great for me and it’s great for boxing to have this top fight and for people to be looking forward to it.
“Bivol’s a really good challenge. And I like it because I’m a man of the challenge. I’m looking forward to getting the title, become a two-time world champion. And I will get it. That’s for sure.”
Bivol, 31, is considered by many to reside within the top 10 pound-for-pound fighters in men’s boxing. He has held the WBA belt since November 2017, and goes into the Ramirez clash full of confidence following the unanimous decision win against Alvarez in Las Vegas four months ago.
Bivol is considered the favourite against Ramirez, although he told The National last month that he is wary of the risk involved going up against the physically bigger southpaw.
November 5 will feature several championship fights, including an IBF junior lightweight bout between champion Joe Cordina and Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov. Meanwhile, WBC and IBF women’s junior welterweight title-holder Chantelle Cameron will defend against undisputed welterweight champion Jessica McCaskill.
On the Bivol threat, Ramirez said: “I’m prepared for everything. I’m prepared to bring everything, to bring all my skills, to put them into the ring. The winner will be the people from Abu Dhabi.
“It will be an excellent show, an amazing fight. People are looking forward to this fight, and me too. They can expect an amazing fight, an amazing show.
“Not only the main event, but all the big card will be amazing. The main event will be incredible. Don’t miss it.”
Ramirez, who held the WBO super-middleweight title between 2016 and 2019, said the opportunity to avenge Bivol's defeat of compatriot Alvarez provided another layer of motivation, but added: “I want to do it for my country too, for all the fans.
“But as a fighter I want to do it for myself, and I want to do it for my people also. It’s exciting to face him, to be here in Abu Dhabi for the first time.”
As to what victory on November 5 would do for his standing in the sport going forward, Ramirez said: “It means everything for me, because it proves I can do it for myself. That’s the challenge I’ve been looking for my whole life, that I can do anything what I think, everything what I dream, and make it happen."
The Scale for Clinical Actionability of Molecular Targets
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
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Generation Start-up: Awok company profile
Started: 2013
Founder: Ulugbek Yuldashev
Sector: e-commerce
Size: 600 plus
Stage: still in talks with VCs
Principal Investors: self-financed by founder
MATCH INFO
Manchester City 3 (Silva 8' &15, Foden 33')
Birmginahm City 0
Man of the match Bernado Silva (Manchester City)
MO
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Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
The specs: Macan Turbo
Engine: Dual synchronous electric motors
Power: 639hp
Torque: 1,130Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Touring range: 591km
Price: From Dh412,500
On sale: Deliveries start in October
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Tesalam Aleik
Abdullah Al Ruwaished
(Rotana)
Innotech Profile
Date started: 2013
Founder/CEO: Othman Al Mandhari
Based: Muscat, Oman
Sector: Additive manufacturing, 3D printing technologies
Size: 15 full-time employees
Stage: Seed stage and seeking Series A round of financing
Investors: Oman Technology Fund from 2017 to 2019, exited through an agreement with a new investor to secure new funding that it under negotiation right now.
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What is Reform?
Reform is a right-wing, populist party led by Nigel Farage, a former MEP who won a seat in the House of Commons last year at his eighth attempt and a prominent figure in the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union.
It was founded in 2018 and originally called the Brexit Party.
Many of its members previously belonged to UKIP or the mainstream Conservatives.
After Brexit took place, the party focused on the reformation of British democracy.
Former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson became its first MP after defecting in March 2024.
The party gained support from Elon Musk, and had hoped the tech billionaire would make a £100m donation. However, Mr Musk changed his mind and called for Mr Farage to step down as leader in a row involving the US tycoon's support for far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson who is in prison for contempt of court.
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
Armies of Sand
By Kenneth Pollack (Oxford University Press)
ANALYSTS’ TOP PICKS OF SAUDI BANKS IN 2019
Analyst: Aqib Mehboob of Saudi Fransi Capital
Top pick: National Commercial Bank
Reason: It will be at the forefront of project financing for government-led projects
Analyst: Shabbir Malik of EFG-Hermes
Top pick: Al Rajhi Bank
Reason: Defensive balance sheet, well positioned in retail segment and positively geared for rising rates
Analyst: Chiradeep Ghosh of Sico Bank
Top pick: Arab National Bank
Reason: Attractive valuation and good growth potential in terms of both balance sheet and dividends
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
India Test squad
Kohli (c), Dhawan, Rahul, Vijay, Pujara, Rahane (vc), Karun, Karthik (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Ashwin, Jadeja, Kuldeep, Pandya, Ishant, Shami, Umesh, Bumrah, Thakur
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Power: 110 horsepower
Torque: 147Nm
Price: From Dh59,700
On sale: now
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Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
