After suffering a second-round stoppage loss to Vergil Ortiz Jr. on Saturday, Erickson Lubin has vowed to regroup and begin a new chapter at middleweight. The setback came in Fort Worth, Texas, with Ortiz defending his interim WBC title at 154 pounds. Lubin quickly addressed fans on social media, writing, “Live by the sword, die by the sword. I’ll be back, I’ll be better… next time at middleweight. #HammerTime.”
Lubin entered the bout brimming with confidence, even walking to the ring in a mariachi-themed outfit as a nod to Ortiz’s fanbase. Ortiz responded in dominant fashion, closing the distance early and forcing a referee stoppage midway through the second round after trapping Lubin on the ropes with a barrage of power shots.
Watch the official fight highlights.
The loss marked Lubin’s third career defeat, each occurring in major title fights. His first came in 2017 against Jermell Charlo, followed by a brutal stoppage in 2022 against Sebastian Fundora in a fight widely regarded as a Fight of the Year contender. Lubin rebounded strongly with victories over Jesus Ramos Jr. and Ardreal Holmes, the latter win making him the IBF mandatory challenger before he opted for the more lucrative clash with Ortiz.
Reflecting on the result, Lubin admitted he fell victim to his own mistakes. “Saturday night I was a prisoner of my own bad habits,” he said. “But it’s just a lesson and I have to learn from it, turn it around, not make it a life sentence.”
With a move to middleweight ahead, Lubin now aims to reset his career and prove that “The Hammer” still has plenty of fight left in him.
Image Credit: Golden Boy