At the age of 29, Gilberto is a nine-year pro. The WBO super middleweight world champion, he won the title in April, 2016, and has made five title defenses.

He is one of boxing’s rising young stars.

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Gilberto’s climb through the ranks was very impressive. He stayed active in the ring with four fights in 2014 and three in 2015. He also stepped up in class of opposition and gave strong performances. His first two fights in 2015 were both against Top 10-ranked contenders – Maxim Vlasov and Derek Edwards. Gilberto scored impressive wins both times and gained valuable experience.

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He won the WBO title on April 9, 2016, in Las Vegas with a 12-round unanimous decision against defending champion Arthur Abraham and became the first fighter from Mexico to win a world title at 168 pounds.

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Gilberto was scheduled for make his first title defense three months after that on July 23, 2016, but injured his right hand in training and had to postpone the fight. He returned to the ring for his first title defense on April 22, 2017, and won a 12-round unanimous decision against Maksim Bursak.

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He followed that with a 12-round unanimous decision win against WBO mandatory challenger Jesse Harton September 22, 2017, in Tucson.

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AMATEUR, PERSONAL BACKGROUND: Gilberto said, “I was born and raised in Mazatlan, Sinaloa. I have one brother and one sister. My father is a truck driver for Coca-Cola. He’s been doing that for 23 years. I’m the only boxer in my family.

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“I started boxing when I was 12 years old. I used to fight a lot in the streets. The neighborhood where I used to live was like a ghetto, a very dangerous neighborhood. My parents took me to play baseball and basketball, but I didn’t like it. I really liked boxing, so that’s what I did.

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“I had 46 amateur fights – 40 wins and six losses.

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“My family had difficult times, so I started working in construction when I was 12 to help support them. I worked for a company that built houses – I would mix cement for the bricks. I would do that for half a day, then I would go to school and after that, I would go to the gym and train. I finished junior high school and started my first year of high school, but I decided to just work after that and quit school.

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“I think I’m ambidextrous. I use both of my hands – I throw a baseball and bat left-handed, but I write with my right hand. When I play soccer, I kick with both feet – left and right.