Jesus Ramos Jr. vs. Brian Mendoza: Young Guns

On a special Sunday edition of FOX PBC Fight Night, a next generation super welterweight talent battles for a spot among the division elite.

On September 5, from the Armory in Minneapolis and broadcast live on FOX and FOX Deportes, rising star Jesus “Mono” Ramos Jr. (16-0, 14 KOs) takes on hard-hitting contender Brian Mendoza (19-1, 13 KOs) in a power vs. power 10-round 154-pound clash.

The FOX PBC Fight Night (8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT) telecast features entertaining lightweight contender Starling “El Poli” Castillo against former title challenger Juan Carlos Burgos in a 10-round co-main event. Opening the show, middleweight prospect Armando “El Toro” Reséndiz battles all-action Marcos “Madman” Hernández in a 10-round contest. 

The Story

For Jesus Ramos Jr., boxing is a family affair. Trained by father, Jesus Sr., and working alongside welterweight contender and uncle, Abel Ramos, boxing has been a life-long endeavor. 

Having that kind of early, immersive education in the sport definitely has its benefits. The 20-year-old has a boxing IQ well beyond most fighters his age and he fights with the poise of a veteran. 

A Casa Grande, Arizona native, Ramos has showcased his skills and abilities in recent contests, stepping up his level of opposition and scoring decisive victories over Naim Nelson, Jesus Emilio Bojorquez, and Javier Molina. Along the way, he’s impressed with his power as well as his ring presence, firmly establishing himself as one of the top prospects in the game.

Brian Mendoza, meanwhile, got a relatively late start in boxing. Making his amateur debut at 16 years of age, the Albuquerque, New Mexico native excelled quickly and managed to become a two-time New Mexico Golden Gloves champion before making his pro debut in 2014.

After business matters stalled his career, the heavy-handed battler made the decision to start fresh and move to boxing-rich Las Vegas in 2019. The move paid off in better sparring, better training, and access to bigger fight opportunities. 

After a 2-0 run, Mendoza got outworked and beaten via split decision by a motivated Larry Gomez. He got back on the right track in his most recent contest, scoring a unanimous decision over Thomas Lamanna in August of 2020. 

The Stakes

At stake is Ramos’ reputation as one of the top young prospects in the game. For Mendoza, a loss means another stall in a career that has already had its fair share of stops and starts. 

The Matchup

A lot has been said about Ramos’ prodigious one-punch power. Just as impressive, though, is the patience, poise, and discipline he shows as a 20-year-old prospect. 

He mixes his punches well, working to the head and body and varying tempo and power to keep opposition off-kilter. He also displays a high boxing IQ and is clearly thinking, lining up opportunities as he pressures his opponents. 

Physically big and strong with explosive knockout power, Ramos’ touch of nuanced skill coming from the southpaw stance makes him an especially dangerous offensive fighter. A thudding left hand coming off a very good jab is probably his best offensive weapon, but he can hurt an opponent with pretty much anything he throws. 

“ I’m sure [Mendoza] is coming to win and to take everything I’ve earned, but I’m going to make sure he doesn’t. ” Undefeated Prospect - Jesus Ramos Jr.

Mendoza is a physically strong fighter who is all-around solid on offense. A big left hook is his most explosive punch, but everything he throws is meaningful and delivered with bad intent. 

Rugged and tenacious, the 27-year-old is a perpetually game, durable opponent with enough of a spark of something special to be a threat to anyone on any given night. Time spent sparring with the likes of Yordenis Ugas, Erislandy Lara, and Teofimo Lopez has also rounded out some rough edges and made him a more complete fighter.

Mendoza’s defensive liabilities, though, make him vulnerable and have thus far kept him from reaching next-level success. He has shown quality head movement and decent defensive instincts at times, but his execution has been inconsistent.

The Words

Jesus Ramos Jr.

"I’ve had a great training camp so far for this fight. I feel a lot stronger, a lot more mature and I feel like I learned a lot from my last fight. I expect a tough fight from Mendoza. I’m sure he is coming to win and to take everything I’ve earned, but I’m going to make sure he doesn’t. You have to tune in on September 5 because it's going to be a good one!"

Brian Mendoza

“I’ve been grinding in the gym nonstop preparing for an opportunity like this. I’ve been learning a lot and I believe that it’s time for the world to see the fighter I’ve become. I can’t wait to put my skills on display. Don’t miss this fight on September 5, it’s going to be explosive.”

The Breakdown

It never bodes well for a fighter with defensive liabilities to find himself matched against a strong, one-punch KO artist. That’s the situation in which Mendoza finds himself against Ramos on Sunday night. 

One could also point out, however, that Ramos’ chin and mettle in full-on war have yet to be truly tested. Over the course of his 3-year pro career, he’s only been past the fourth round twice and, before May’s 10-round decision over Javier Molina, he had averaged just under 2.5 rounds per fight. 

Mendoza fits the profile of someone who may be able to take Ramos some rounds and touch him up a bit. But, of course, the underdog’s aggression and affinity for mixing it up may also prove to be his undoing against a gifted puncher. 

Ramos looks like a special fighter and has shown himself to be at least two full steps ahead of everyone he’s faced so far. Mendoza is good, solid, and definitely game-- but will that be enough against Ramos? 

With fists flying at The Armory, anything can happen. Ramos will enter the ring as the favorite but boxing frequently becomes theater of the unexpected in a firefight. The only real guarantee this Sunday is that one of these fighters will most likely not make it to the final bell. 

For a closer look at Ramos vs Mendoza, check out our fight night page.