TODAY'S SOCAL SCHEDULE

Jermell Charlo (34-1-1, 18 showed me that. Neither one of us pulled out the victory, so it's only right to get back in the ring and fight him again.”

Kovalev returns

Sergey Kovalev will end his 30-month layoff with a pre-fight concert and a new weight class.

Kovalev's cruiserweight debut against Tervel Pulev will headline a Triller Fight Club event today at Kia Forum in Inglewood. Legendary hip-hop groups Cypress Hill and Onyx will battle on stage for the latest edition of Triller's “Verzuz” before the fighters make their ring walks.

This will be Kovalev's first fight since being knocked out by Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in the 11th round of their Nov. 2019 bout.

“Since I changed to cruiserweight, it has changed everything,” said Kovalev, the former light heavyweight champion. “Most importantly, I don't have to worry about losing the weight. Actually, the last two years fighting at light heavyweight and making 175, was miserable for me.”

Kovalev, 39, gave Alvarez trouble with his length and jab during Alvarez's debut at 175 pounds. Dmitry Bivol said he used Kovalev's blueprint to stifle Alvarez in a stunning upset last week, but Bivol was more aggressive than his fellow countryman from Russia and had youth on his side.

Kovalev said he's aiming to be a world champion at cruiserweight, but he's not planning on fighting for more than three years.

“I am not sure how many fights it will take to get a title,” Kovalev said. “But if I win a title next year, then I will stop.”

Ramirez's title quest

Light heavyweight contender Gilberto Ramirez will headline an event at the Toyota Arena in Ontario to round out a busy Saturday of boxing in Southern California.

He'll continue his title quest at 175 pounds by challenging Dominic Boesel in a main event that will be streamed on DAZN.

“There's going to be a lot of Mexican fans at the Toyota Arena, so I'm really excited,” said Ramirez, from Mexico. “I think Bivol was just too much for Canelo. I am a little sad as a Mexican boxing fan. In a way, I do have to get revenge since I represent Mexico as well.”

Mayweather note

And if you're into exhibition bouts with big names, Floyd Mayweather Jr. is fighting Don Moore in Dubai today.

The event will be streamed on LiveNow, starting at 10:30 a.m.