Selection: Vergil Ortiz (-125)
In what may very well be the best fight on the card, Vergil Ortiz and Israil Madrimov are set to meet for the WBC interim super-welterweight championship.
Vergil Ortiz, the current WBC interim super-welterweight champion, has found his true weight class to compete at – 154 lbs. No longer dealing with the health scares of draining to 147, while maintaining the ability to compete with bigger opponents at 154, Ortiz is coming off one of his best performances and a fight of the year in 2024, against Serhii Bohachuk.
Ortiz’s power and speed continue to serve him well at 154, a division with a smaller pool of quality opponents. While I am not certain of a finish in this fight, Ortiz’s pressure-heavy style – throwing every shot with bad intent – has made it tough for opponents to win. Even when faced with resistance, as he was against against Bohachuk, Ortiz’s maturity and ability to stay composed when the going gets tough makes him a comfortable pick for me this weekend.
