After securing a decisive 12-round victory over Israil Madrimov on Saturday night in Riyadh, Vergil Ortiz Jr., the reigning WBC interim junior middleweight champion, is laser-focused on his next big move. Ortiz Jr. is eager for a title shot, targeting any of the three champions at 154 pounds who will give him a chance.
### Possible Opponents
Ortiz has set his sights on Bakhram Murtazaliev, who holds the IBF title, Sebastian Fundora with the WBC and WBO belts, and WBA’s Terence Crawford. Among them, Murtazaliev, with his undefeated record of 23-0, including 17 knockouts, might seem the most manageable fight for Ortiz. However, he’s also a formidable puncher. Ortiz, who flaunts an impressive 23-0 record with 21 KOs, knows well that he can’t take the same aggressive approach he used against Madrimov. Murtazaliev’s power is undeniably daunting, and unlike Madrimov, he’s not one to shy away from a fight.
Ortiz faced enough challenges with Madrimov, whose evasive tactics were a tough nut to crack. The judges scored the fight 115-113 twice, and 117-111 in favor of Ortiz. “If anyone’s willing to give me a shot at a belt, I’m all in,” Ortiz confidently told Ring Magazine.
Ortiz expressed satisfaction with his recent bout, noting, “It was a tough fight against a strong opponent, and I’m really pleased with how I performed,” he explained to The Stomping Ground following the fight. When discussing Madrimov’s hitting power, Ortiz remarked, “He’s got decent power, but it wasn’t intimidating. Mean Machine [Egidijus Kavaliauskas] packed a punch that made me wary. With Madrimov, I felt I could take it.”
Interestingly, despite feeling less wary of Madrimov’s power, Ortiz came away from the fight more visibly marked than he did after facing Kavaliauskas. This suggests that Madrimov’s punches might have packed a bit more punch than Ortiz had anticipated, especially compared to his previous fight with Mean Machine back in August 2021.
As for the possibility of facing Terence Crawford, Ortiz might need to forget about it, as Crawford seems to have his sights elsewhere. He’s booked to fight the super middleweight champ Canelo Alvarez on September 13th, and retirement could be on the horizon unless a lucrative offer from a promoter like Turki Alalshikh tempts him into the ring again, perhaps against the newly crowned undisputed light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol.
Reflecting on Madrimov’s evasion tactics, Ortiz was unperturbed. “It wasn’t frustrating. Eventually, he’s got to engage. I can adapt to different fighting styles. I know how to fight from a distance when needed,” Ortiz said. “I’m not just a straightforward fighter. I can switch to being a bully if required or maintain my distance if needed. Dealing with a moving target is no big issue for me,” he continued.
In the world of boxing, Ortiz Jr. is proving to be a versatile and ambitious contender, waiting patiently for his next big opportunity to challenge and possibly claim a championship belt.
