Vergil Ortiz Jr. put to rest any questions of where he stands in the welterweight division.
The fighting pride of Grand Prairie, Texas arrived at a ripped and ready 146.6 pounds for his first fight of 2022 and his third straight in the greater Dallas area. Ortiz faces England’s Michael McKinson (22-0, 2KOs), who weighed 146.8 pounds for the battle of unbeaten welterweights this Saturday on DAZN from Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
The bout was due to take place March 19 in Los Angeles, only for Ortiz (18-0, 18KOs) to be pulled from the show after he was hospitalized for rhabdomyolysis. McKinson proceeded with the show, outpointing late substitute Alex Martin in a dull ten-round affair representing the Englishman’s U.S. debut.
False rumors swirled—sadly including several media members—of Ortiz struggling to make welterweight, only to learn of his medical scare. The 24-year-old Texan has been given a clean bill of health and prepares to fight for the first time this year, with Saturday’s main event doubling as a WBA welterweight title eliminator.
Ortiz is coming off an eighth-round knockout of Egidijus Kavaliauskas last August in Frisco, Texas. Five months prior, Ortiz stopped local friendly rival Maurice Hooker (27-2-3, 18KOs) inside of seven rounds in this very venue last March.
