Luis Ortiz: record, next fight and profile →
Top heavyweight Luis “King Kong” Ortiz scored a sixth-round stoppage of former heavyweight champion Charles Martin in a dramatic IBF title eliminator showdown that headlined a FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View Saturday night from Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida.
Ortiz, Martin Fight Photos - Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida - In an IBF heavyweight eliminator, Luis Ortiz (33-2, 28 KOs) overcame two knockdowns to blast out former champion Charles Martin (28-3-1, 25 KOs) in the sixth round. (photos by Ryan Hafey)
Luis Ortiz landed 57% (41/72) of his power punches. 19 of those landed power punches came in the sixth round, when Ortiz put Charles Martin on the canvas twice for the stoppage win.
By Jake Donovan - Nearly three months shy of his 43rd birthday, Luis Ortiz breathes new life into his career. The former two-time heavyweight title challenger rallied from two knockdowns to score two of his own in a sixth-round stoppage of former IBF heavyweight champion Charles Martin. Ortiz was down in rounds one and four, coming back to twice floor Martin en route a dramatic knockout win at 1:37 of round six in their Fox Sports Pay-Per-View main event Saturday evening from Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida.
Charles Martin, Luis Ortiz Scorecard BoxingScene Live - Top heavyweight Luis “King Kong” Ortiz and former world champion Charles Martin went face-to-face at the official weigh-in Friday before they meet in an IBF Heavyweight Title Eliminator headlining a FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View this Saturday, January 1 from Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida. (photos by Ryan Hafey)
The one thing on which Luis Ortiz and Charles Martin agree is there being little chance of their fight going the distance.Miami’s Ortiz enjoys a home game for the first major boxing card of the New Year, taking on a former IBF titlist in Martin (28-2-1, 25KOs) atop an all-heavyweight Fox Sports Pay-Per-View card Saturday evening from Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida. The rare matchup of heavyweight southpaws features two heavy-handed contenders with just seven of their combined 67 career fights going to the scorecards.
You can’t blame Charles Martin for expecting a knockout no matter who he faces. The former IBF heavyweight titlist envisions that exact scenario playing out in Saturday’s clash with Luis Ortiz, with the pair of heavy-handed southpaws seeing just seven out of a combined 67 fights go to the scorecards. Martin has every intention of seeing that trend through in this weekend’s Fox Sports Pay-Per-View main event.
Charles Martin has reached a point in his career where he feels it’s big fights or bust. The bulk of the past two years has been the latter, though a necessary investment into his future. “I've just got big plans and big expectations for myself,” Martin told reporters during a Zoom media conference call of his recent inactive stretch ahead of his New Year’s Day showdown with Luis Ortiz. “I have goals of becoming a two-time heavyweight champion. I don’t see the need to waste my time with tune-up fights right now.
After years of walking this earth like a god, Charles Martin is now prepared to ride off into the sunset. The former IBF heavyweight titlist isn’t quite at that point but has already mapped out an exit strategy. It includes a knockout win this weekend and avenging the first loss of his career.
By Cliff Rold - It’s a night of Heavyweight action to kick off 2022 (Fox PPV, 8 PM EST) featuring an aging veteran who fell short in two title challenges and an aging former titlist who wants to be remembered as more than a footnote.