UNCASVILLE, Connecticut – The biggest fight of Jaron Ennis’ career is officially on.
Ennis and Sergey Lipinets both made weight Friday morning for their 12-round welterweight fight Saturday night at Mohegan Sun Arena. Philadelphia’s Ennis stepped on the Mohegan Tribe Department of Athletic Regulation’s scale at 146.4 pounds, slightly less than Kazakhstan’s Lipinets, who weighed 146.8 pounds.
The 23-year-old Ennis (26-0, 24 KOs, 1 NC) is listed by most Internet sports books as a 12-1 favorite versus Lipinets the day before their “Showtime Championship Boxing” main event.
The 32-year-old Lipinets (16-1-1, 12 KOs), a former IBF junior welterweight champion, fought to a 12-round majority draw with Canada’s Custio Clayton in his last fight. Clayton (18-0-1, 12 KOs) won that fight for the IBF interim welterweight title on one scorecard, 115-113, but two judges scored it even, 114-114, on October 24 at Mohegan Sun Arena.
Ennis’ most recent appearance abruptly ended before it really began.
South Africa’s Chris van Heerden suffered a deep cut on his forehead that prevented van Heerden (28-2-1, 12 KOs, 1 NC) from continuing in the first round of their 12-rounder December 19 at Mohegan Sun Arena. That bout was consequently ruled a no-contest.
Moments before Ennis and Lipinets took center stage Friday morning, Eimantas Stanionis and Thomas Dulorme met their contractual obligations for another 12-round welterweight fight Saturday night.
Stanionis (12-0, 9 KOs), a 2016 Olympian from Lithuania, officially weighed 147 pounds. Puerto Rico’s Dulorme (25-4-1, 16 KOs) came in at 146.4 pounds.
Showtime will televise Stanionis-Dulorme, a WBA eliminator, just before Ennis-Lipinets. Stanionis is consistently listed as a 10-1 favorite over Dulorme.
Like Lipinets for Ennis, the 31-year-old Dulorme is considered a significant step up in competition for the 26-year-old Stanionis.
Earlier Friday, Jerwin Ancajas and Jonathan Rodriguez made weight for their 12-round, 115-pound title fight, which will open Showtime’s tripleheader at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.
The Philippines’ Ancajas came in at 114.8 pounds. Mexico’s Rodriguez officially weighed exactly 115 pounds.
The 25-year-old Rodriguez (22-1, 16 KOs) is the mandatory challenger for Ancajas’ IBF junior bantamweight title. They were supposed to fight last April 11 in Las Vegas, but that card was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 29-year-old Ancajas (32-1-2, 22 KOs), who is a 10-1 favorite, will end a 16-month layoff by making his ninth title defense against Rodriguez.
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.