The WBA interim light heavyweight champion was forced to work hard against the crafty British southpaw in a tactical bout that featured frequent clinches and several difficult rounds to score.

Ramirez appeared to do some of his best work early, while Richards found success with sharp counters and strong finishing stretches in the championship rounds. Richards arguably produced his best round in the eleventh and closed the fight aggressively, leading some observers to feel he had done enough to earn the decision.

In the end, two judges sided with Ramirez, awarding him 115-113 verdicts, while the third scored the contest 116-112 for Richards. The victory keeps him in position for a potential shot at a full world title.

Earlier in the evening, 2021 Olympic bronze medalist Imam Khataev delivered one of the card’s most dramatic moments with a first-round stoppage of Mickael Diallo.

Khataev appeared to be cruising through the opening round before being dropped by a right hand midway through the session. It was the first major setback of the fight, but the Russian quickly turned things around.

After beating the count, Khataev immediately went on the attack and dropped Diallo with a right hand. He scored a second knockdown later in the round, prompting Diallo’s corner to stop the fight at the end of the session.

The victory improved Khataev’s record to 12-1 and came in his first appearance since suffering the lone defeat of his professional career.

Ramirez retained his unbeaten record in the main event, while Khataev rebounded from an early knockdown to secure a first-round stoppage on the undercard.