NORTH HOLLYWOOD, California — John “Scrappy” Ramirez is in the gym, staying ready, and waiting for the call from Golden Boy Promotions to see when, and against who, he’ll be fighting.

The 115-pound contender got back into the win column in December by scoring a 10-round unanimous decision win against previously unbeaten Ephraim Buir. In April, the 28-year-old Los Angeles native suffered the first loss of his career to David Jimenez, who’s currently rated No. 8 by The Ring at junior bantamweight.

The five-year pro Ramirez specifically has his sights set on former WBC flyweight champion Julio Cesar Martinez (20-3, 15 KOs).

“I feel great and I look forward to picking up right where I left off,” Ramirez told The Ring in an interview following a training session with coach Julian Chua at the Brickhouse Boxing Club.

“I'm looking at Julio Cesar Martinez for my next fight. I would love to have him on my resume. He comes to fight and is always looking for a knockout. I don't take anything away from him but I think I'm a better fighter overall and can beat him. I'm looking to win by all means. I'm chasing greatness and looking to put people to sleep too and I'll put my money where my mouth is. We're in conversations with them and there are high hopes for that fight to happen. I think it will happen. My last fight was about redemption, and the next one will be the rise.”

Martinez (20-3, 15 KOs) is seeking a redemption as well.

The last few years for the Mexican have been uneven due to pulling out of fights, missing weight in his loss against Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez, and most recently, testing positive for a banned substance (S5 Diuretics) following his majority decision win over Angelino Cordova in March.

The result of the fight was later changed to a No Contest and Martinez was fined and suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

Martinez also tested positive for Clenbuterol during a 2019 random test under the WBC's Clean Boxing Program. However, the Mexico-based sanctioning body cleared Martinez citing that the detected levels could have resulted from consuming contaminated meat, which has been common in the country.

Martinez vacated his 112-pound title in May and announced he’d be moving up to 115 pounds. Ramirez is promising a rude welcome.

“I'm not looking for easy fights. I’m looking for big and entertaining fights where I can carve my name and my spot in the boxing world,” said Ramirez.

“I'm trying to stay active and keep my momentum going. I'm looking for nothing but big fights. I made up for my loss and I’m looking for a world title.”