Albert Ramirez Withdraws, Mehmet Unal vs Altin Zogaj Headlines Montréal CardAlbert Ramirez Withdraws Due to Medical Issue, Mehmet Unal vs. Altin Zogaj Elevated to Main Event in Montréal

MONTRÉAL — A sudden medical emergency has forced WBA interim light heavyweight world champion Albert Ramirez out of his scheduled bout at the Casino de Montréal, prompting a major change to Thursday night’s fight card.

Ramirez (22-0, 19 KOs) was hospitalized overnight from Tuesday into Wednesday despite completing a flawless training camp with no reported injuries. While further evaluation is ongoing, doctors suspect appendicitis, rendering the undefeated knockout artist medically unfit to compete.

“This is a heartbreaking decision for us, for boxing fans, and especially for Albert, who was absolutely determined to fight despite everything,” said promoter Camille Estephan. “However, our responsibility is to protect the health of our athletes, and this was the only decision we could make.”

With Ramirez sidelined, the event will now be headlined by an intriguing battle of unbeatens as Olympian and WBC Continental light heavyweight champion Mehmet Unal (14-0, 12 KOs) faces European champion Altin Zogaj (17-0, 9 KOs) in the new main event.

Unal, who represented Turkey at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, turned professional in 2021 after signing with Eye of the Tiger Management. Now based full-time in Montreal and trained by renowned coach Marc Ramsay, Unal will make the second defense of his WBC Continental title. Currently ranked No. 9 in the WBC light heavyweight rankings, Unal enters his first career main event seeking the biggest win of his professional journey.

Standing opposite him is Germany’s Altin Zogaj, an undefeated European champion looking to make a major statement on North American soil.

The co-main event will see two-time Olympian Dzmitry Asanau (11-0, 5 KOs) defend his WBC Continental lightweight title against Spanish champion Carlos Ramos (18-3-1, 10 KOs). Born in Belarus, based in Dubai, and training in Montreal, Asanau has surged up the rankings since signing with Eye of the Tiger. He currently sits No. 4 in the WBC and No. 11 in the IBF lightweight rankings.

Also featured on the card, Thetford Mines native Thomas Chabot (11-1, 7 KOs) will attempt to bounce back from his first career loss in a local showdown against hard-hitting Maritime contender Dominic Babineau (13-2-1, 11 KOs). The bout marks Chabot’s first scheduled 10-round contest and his debut at featherweight after dropping down to 126 pounds.

On the undercard, Canadian Olympic medalist Wyatt Sanford (5-0, 2 KOs) continues his professional development with a six-round lightweight bout against durable veteran Alexis Gabriel Camejo (10-5-2, 1 KO). Camejo is well known to Quebec fans, having gone the distance with both Dzmitry Asanau and Colombian prospect Jhon Orobio.

Montreal prospect and former Canadian national team member Keven Beausejour (1-0, 1 KO) will make his Quebec debut against Czech boxer Petr Strnad (4-3-2, 2 KOs), while Longueuil’s Dante Tice (1-0) opens the show in a four-round contest against Argentine brawler Gonzalo Manriquez (6-7-1).