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Vergil Ortiz Jr puts his WBC Interim Super Welterweight title on the line tonight at the Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, with Erikson Lubin the man in the opposite corner looking to leave with the belt. Hall of Fame fighter Tim Bradley has weighed in with his prediction.
Ortiz Jr bounced back from two years of inactivity in 2024, beating Fredrick Lawson and Thomas Dulorme by knockout before having his career-long stoppage streak come to an end against Serhii Bohachuk – a fight which he won by majority decision but saw him on the canvas twice.
A measured performance against the tricky Israil Madrimov followed, setting up this bout with Lubin, who has won three on the spin since a loss to current champion Sebastian Fundora.
On the line for the A-side is not only the title and top rankings spot, but a standout match-up against former unified welterweight champion Jaron Ennis. ‘Boots’ will be ringside for the main event, and fans will hope, should Ortiz retain his belt, the fight will be announced shortly after, even despite Ortiz’s trainer Robert Garcia pouring cold on the plans.
Speaking to FightHype, Bradley told fans not to count Lubin out.
“What I like about Lubin is his mentality. He’s a tremendous boxer, a ton of experience – has has been through a lot in his career – but I love his mentality right now. I think it’s gonna be one hell of a fight. We understand what we get with Vergil Ortiz, it’s all gas, no brakes. I still think that Lubin has a really good chance … He’s got a damn good chance for the upset.”
Ultimately, however, Bradley backed the champion to retain.
“I’m gonna go with Ortiz, [but] if I was to bet, I would put a little bit of hamburger money on Lubin for the upset … But I think Ortiz is gonna win the fight. His consistent pressure, combinations, and the fact that I see Lubin always find little pockets to rest – Ortiz is not gonna allow him to rest … I think [Ortiz] gonna win the unanimous decision or maybe a late stoppage.”
