ETIHAD ARENA, ABU DHABI — Dmitry Bivol produced a boxing clinic to defend his WBA light-heavyweight title against a game but over-matched Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez.

Bivol (21-0, 11 KOs) was back in the ring for his first outing since defeating pound-for-pound king Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez and faced a very different problem in the form of hulking Mexican southpaw Ramirez, who carried a 44-0 record into the ring.

The fighters clashed in centre-ring after a fiery exchange at the end of round one, but any suggestions of a barnburner proved to be misplaced as Bivol immaculately went through his repertoire to win a unanimous decision by margins of 118-110 and 117-111 (twice).

Ramirez (44-1, 30 KOs) proved to have a solid chin but suffered a frustrating night at the mercy of the champion’s masterful punch-picking and distance control, with his signature body attacks only sporadically successful.