Jose Ramirez's WBC/WBO super lightweight world championship defense against Viktor Postol was originally set for Feb. 2 in China, but the coronavirus outbreak in the country postponed it at the time.
With COVID-19 having spread into a global pandemic since then, the Ramirez-Postol rescheduled date of May 9 has been postponed too. On Tuesday, Top Rank announced that the fight, which was slated to be held at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif., has been postponed and will need to be rescheduled once again.
Ramirez more than understands the decision.
“I'm focused and will stay training and ready," the unified champion vowed. "Our nation’s safety must come first. We will all get through this.”
Added Top Rank chairman Bob Arum: “I feel terribly for Jose and Viktor, who have entered two training camps, only to see the fight postponed both times. They are consummate professionals, and they will give the great Fresno fans a memorable fight whenever it occurs. We owe it to Jose and Viktor to make this fight happen as soon as it’s safe to do so.”
Although the fight will be rescheduled, it will still take place at the Save Mart Center, with tickets for the May 9 event being valid for the new date once the coronavirus outbreak subsides.
As of Tuesday, there are over 181,000 coronavirus cases in the United States, with the country counting 3,662 deaths, as reported by CNN.
The 27-year-old Ramirez (25-0, 17 KOs) has yet to make his first defense of his unified crown since adding the WBO super lightweight title to his WBC strap via his thrilling sixth-round TKO of Maurice Hooker in July.