Long hailed as one of the sport’s most exciting up-and-coming boxers, Virgil Ortiz takes a big step up in competition when he fights Serhii Bohachuk on Saturday. Bohachuk’s WBC interim junior middleweight title will be on the line when the pair meet in Las Vegas.
Ortiz has finished 21 men who have stepped into the ring with him as a professional, including back-to-back first-round knockouts of Frederick Lawson and Thomas Dullorme in his first two trips to junior middleweight. In Bohachuk, Ortiz meets an opponent who looks to finish every fight the same way, his most recent bout, a win over Brian Mendoza to win the interim belt, Bohachuk only saw the final bell.
Bohachuk is an offense-first fighter who often doesn’t want to be responsible defensively. It suits him well in his career to date and can produce fireworks from the opening bell.
“It’s exciting because we’ve fought before,” Ortiz said at the pre-fight press conference. “When two fighters don’t know each other they can feel each other. Well, I don’t think there will be a feeling. We’re going to pick up right where we left off and it’s going to be an exciting fight.”
The WBC interim belt puts the winner in position to face WBC and WBO champ Sebastian Fundora. Fundora is coming off a career-best win over Team CJU.
In addition to Fundora, plenty of other potentially big fights await the winner of Ortiz vs. Bohachuk, with Saul “Canelo” Alvarez falling into some uncertainty with Alvarez forcing the fight back with Turk Alalsikh pushing back. and WBA Junior Middleweight Champion Terence Crawford.
If Crawford chooses to stay at 154 pounds after his expected-tough fight with Israel Madrimov, someone like Fundora or Ortiz would be as good as he could get for a “big fight.”
A fight with Tszyu could also be on the table. Ortiz was originally scheduled to face Tszyu this month, but Tszyu needs more time to recover from his title-losing performance against Fundora. Tszyu is still a big name and a future showdown with Ortiz could bring plenty.
The undercard features a pair of women’s title fights. Sebastian’s sister Gabriela Fundora looks set to defend her IBF flyweight title when she fights Daniela Asenzo. Fundora, 22, is undefeated at 13-0 with six knockouts thus far. Also, former undisputed welterweight champion Cecilia Brekhus will look to secure more gold when she takes on Marisela Cornejo for the WBC interim junior middleweight crown. After losing her crown to Jessica McCaskill in 2020, Breckhaus has stepped up for her next challenge. He fought Terry Harper to a majority draw with the WBA and WBO titles, and instead of a rematch, Breakhouse now wants to go for one of the other titles available in the division.
Ortiz vs. Bohachuk fight card, odds
- Virgil Ortiz -330 vs. Serhiy Bohachuk (IC) +250, WBC Interim Junior Middleweight Title
- Gabriela Fundora (c)-1600 vs. Daniela Ascenzo +750, IBF flyweight title
- Cecilia Brekhus vs Marisela Cornejo, Vacant WBC Interim Junior Middleweight Title
- Charles Conwell -3500 vs Khyari Gray +1100, Junior Middleweights
prediction
This type of fight will get any fight fan’s blood pumping. Both men are coming to take the other’s head off and it’s unlikely that this will make for an action fight. It’s also a dangerous fight for Ortiz, who you want to see at this stage of his career as he prepares to break into the world championship level.
For all of Bohachuk’s danger, his defensive liabilities will likely be the difference here. Ortiz can crack and he’s technically sound. While Bohachuk is throwing the full weight of his offense at Ortiz, it will be open for Ortiz to switch things up with a single punch. It will likely happen early, but Bohachuk will likely be able to duke it out by the mid-rounds. Pick: Vergil Ortiz via TKO5
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