Vergil Ortiz Jr. has revealed that his upcoming clash with Israil Madrimov on February 22nd was prompted by the fun, competitive sparring sessions they once shared. Ortiz will be putting his WBC interim junior middleweight belt on the line against the former WBA champion as part of the loaded undercard headlined by Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol 2 at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, live on DAZN PPV.
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Ortiz, 26, admits that his initial prediction for Madrimov’s last fight, against Terence Crawford, was that Crawford would win handily. Instead, Madrimov pushed him in a close contest, demonstrating that he could trouble even elite opposition. Ortiz notes that he and Crawford are different fighters, and thus he expects Madrimov to bring a fresh approach for their upcoming showdown.
One point of contention is the fight’s position as the third bout on the undercard, rather than in a co-feature slot. Event organizers appear to have prioritized heavyweight matchups Daniel Dubois vs Joseph Parker and a middleweight clash between Carlos Adames and Hamzah Sheeraz ahead of Ortiz vs Madrimov - much to the disappointment of some fans who consider Ortiz a top young star in the sport.
Still, Ortiz embraces the challenge. He knows Madrimov brings a tricky combination of power, speed, and defense that will force him to adapt - and that’s exactly what he wants. After all, their past sparring sessions proved both entertaining and intense, and the hope is that this 154-pound battle will deliver the same excitement for viewers tuning in around the globe.
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Image Credit: ESPN