NORTH HOLLYWOOD, California – WBA and WBO cruiserweight champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez has lofty goals set after his planned unified title defense on June 28 against Yuniel Dorticos.

Should Ramirez (47-1, 30 KOs) walk away successfully from the slugfest, he imagines the floodgates opening with a variety of fights, including:

1. Cruiserweight title unification bouts against The Ring and IBF champion Jai Opetaia and current WBC beltholder Badou Jack.

2. A rematch against Dmitry Bivol at cruiserweight following the lone loss of his career at light heavyweight in 2022.

3. Welcoming the likes of Canelo Alvarez and David Benavidez for matchups between Mexican countrymen.

4. Giving Jake Paul a real cruiserweight contest.

5. And one day, moving up to campaign as a heavyweight.

“It's exciting for me to know about all of the good fights we can make,” Ramirez told The Ring in an interview following a training session with coach Julian Chua at the Brickhouse Boxing Club. “People want to see those fights, and we need to give it to them. I want to fight all of them and build on my legacy. This is the right path.

“Fighting Jai Opetaia excites me. I would like to fight him. Supposedly he's the best cruiserweight, but I have two titles and I’m the best cruiserweight in the division. He's a good champion but everyone is looking at him like he's the best. But I’m the best, and I will prove myself to everyone. That's a fight that I want.

“The rematch against Bivol would be better. It was hard for me to make 175 pounds. I don't take anything away from him, but I was not 100 percent against him that night. But it happened, and I’ve moved forward. I'm stronger and faster at cruiserweight. My weight is good because I’m not draining myself. It will be different for me on fight night against Bivol.”

Ramirez, however, believes a bout against Benavidez is the likeliest one of them all. Both fighters have a history together with spirited sparring sessions.

Benavidez’s father and trainer Jose Sr. was in Ramirez’s corner in 2016 for Zurdo’s first world title victory, a unanimous decision against then WBO super middleweight champion Arthur Abraham.

“Of course the [Benavidez] fight, people want to see,” said Ramirez. “He's a great champion and a pound for pound fighter. Why not if he wants it too. We're friends, and I know his family, but if the money is right, we can make the fight happen. We've had amazing sparring sessions together that were pay per view worthy on its own. We can have a great fight against each other. It would be a fight of the year, like Marco Antonio Barrera vs. Juan Manuel Marquez – two Mexicans just throwing down with a lot of exciting punches.

“If he wants to move up to cruiserweight, we can make the fight happen. For me, I don't have a problem fighting a Mexican. I can fight anyone. I'm a fighter. That's what I do – fight.”

In an interview with The Ring last month, Jose Sr. said his son David would welcome a fight with Ramirez as well.

“We can move up to cruiserweight to face Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez,” Benavidez Sr. told The Ring. “It would be an honor to face Zurdo. He's a great friend and fighter. That's what friends are for. Why not fight each other? We'll get to make money together. If it was up to me, I would love to face Bivol, then fight Beterbiev and then fight Zurdo Ramirez. That would be my dream and something we would like … At this point, David feels really good. He has the height for it. He feels good at 168, 175, and he can go to cruiserweight as well. He's right in the middle, and it's all about adjusting up or down.”