By Keith Idec

Roberto Ramirez ruined Dejan Zlaticanin’s comeback Thursday night.

Mexico’s Ramirez (18-2-1, 13 KOs) knocked down the former WBC world lightweight champion twice and stopped him in the second round of a scheduled 10-round, 135-pound bout in New York.

The 34-year-old Zlaticanin (23-2, 16 KOs) fought for just the second time since Mikey Garcia knocked him out in the third round of their WBC championship match in January 2017 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

The Montenegro native won the first fight of his comeback by first-round knockout. He beat Colombian journeyman Hevinson Herrera (22-14-1, 16 KOs) in that December 14 fight at BB King Blues Club & Grill in Manhattan.

The card on which Zlaticanin lost Thursday night took place at Melrose Ballroom.

Before Zlaticanin lost Thursday night, promoter Lou DiBella had hoped to guide the strong southpaw back to a title shot. Zlaticanin is ranked No. 9 in the WBC’s 135-pound ratings.

“Dejan is a fighter with an exciting style,” DiBella told krikya360.com before Thursday’s loss. “He’s strong, hits hard, and comes forward. We’ll see what options there are after this fight, but I believe he is one of the top lightweights in the world. He has the ability to fight and beat many of the top fighters in the division. Mikey [Garcia] is an exceptional talent. Dejan got caught and has moved on from the fight.”

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for krikya360.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.