The previously ordered Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez-Yuniel Dorticos title fight will now head to a purse bid hearing.

An Aug. 27 date was scheduled to determine promotional rights for Ramirez’s due mandatory title defense, the WBA confirmed on Friday. The development came more than two weeks after the deadline passed without a deal in place.

Ramirez is due the greater amount of a 75/25 split from the winning bid as the defending WBA cruiserweight beltholder. The session is open to all WBA-registered promoters, who are required to pay a participation fee.

The bout was ordered on July 1 and assigned a 30-day negotiation period. It was the first piece of business for Ramirez (46-1, 30 knockouts) since the end of his three-year contract with Golden Boy Promotions. The Mexican southpaw is expected to continue doing business with them as a co-promotion with his self-owned Zurdo Promotions.

Dorticos (27-2, 25 KOs), a former WBA and IBF titlist, is co-promoted by Warriors Boxing and The Heavyweight Factory.

Ramirez dethroned long-reigning but grossly inactive Arsen Goulamirian to win the title on March 30 in Inglewood, California. Their entertaining DAZN main event saw Ramirez outpoint the California-based Armenian.

It marked the start of a second divisional title reign for Ramirez, a 33-year-old southpaw who previously held the WBO super middleweight belt. He came up well short in a Nov. 2022 challenge of WBA 175-pound titlist Dmitry Bivol (23-0, 12 KOs).

Two wins have followed since a move up to cruiserweight, where Ramirez is ranked No. 4 by The Ring.

Both of Dorticos’ previous title reigns during the World Boxing Super Series (WBSS) cruiserweight tournaments. He was stopped in the 12^th round by Murat Gassiev in their Feb. 2018 WBSS season one semifinal and unification bout between unbeaten titlists.

Dorticos advanced to the WBSS final during the second season, but dropped a twelve-round decision to Mairis Briedis (28-3, 20 KOs).

Just three fights have followed, all ending in early knockouts. Dorticos ended an eighteen-month inactive stretch with a first-round stoppage of Alan Campa on June 8 in Hollywood, Florida. He was dropped from The Ring top 10 after one year out of the ring. The win over Campa was not recognized by The Ring Ratings Panel as grounds to re-enter the rankings just yet.

However, he was already the established WBA mandatory challenger. Ramirez was afforded a title shot ahead of the 38-year-old Cuban, on the condition they immediately meet.

That fight is now locked in, per WBA rule C.13. Neither boxer can enter another fight until the terms are satisfied by all parties for this contest.

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