Vergil Ortiz Jr. Defends Title vs. Lubin in Texas

Vergil Ortiz Jr. will defend his WBC interim junior middleweight title against Erickson Lubin on Saturday night in a 12-round bout at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, with the winner positioned for potential high-profile matchups in the competitive 154-pound division.

The event, promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and streamed live on DAZN, features Ortiz, who weighed in at 153.8 pounds on Friday, facing Lubin at the 154-pound limit. Ortiz, 27, enters with an undefeated record of 23-0, including 21 knockouts, but his recent fights have tested his resilience. He survived two knockdowns to win a majority decision over Serhii Bohachuk in August 2024 and secured a unanimous decision against Israil Madrimov in February 2025, bouts that left visible marks on the Texas native from nearby Grand Prairie.

Lubin, 30, with a record of 27-2 and 19 knockouts, seeks to reclaim a shot at a world title after his first-round knockout loss to Jermell Charlo in 2017. The southpaw challenger has won three straight fights since a ninth-round stoppage against Sebastian Fundora in 2022, including a unanimous decision over Jesus Ramos Jr. in September 2023. At Friday's weigh-in, Lubin expressed...