For all the challenges Vergil Ortiz Jr. and Serhii Bohachuk have faced in and outside the ring, sending opponents packing early hasn’t been one of them.
The pair of junior middleweights will arguably provide each other the toughest test of their respective careers when they meet at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas on Aug. 10. And if history is any indicator, the fight shouldn’t be expected to go the 12-round distance.
Ortiz (21-0, 21 KOs), of Grand Prairie, Texas, has punctuated every one of his professional fights with a stoppage win, including a first-round knockout of Ghana’s Frederick Lawson in January, in Ortiz’s debut at 154 pounds. Most recently, he blew out Thomas Dulorme in another first-round KO in April.
Ortiz, 26, saw his career stalled and even threatened by health issues that kept him on the shelf for 17 months leading up to the Lawson fight. Ortiz says Bohachuk is the opponent who will help him prove that all those difficulties are behind him while also cementing his status within the junior middleweight division.
“This fight is the fight that solidifies me as a top 154 fighter,” Ortiz said. “This is also the fight that shows everyone that nothing has changed: I am still one of the best fighters in the world.”
Meanwhile, Bohachuk (24-1, 23 KOs), of Vinitza, Ukraine, has wrestled with his role while his home country has been under siege, and visa problems have complicated matters further. But he has been able to take solace in nearly exclusive success in the ring, with an eighth-round TKO against Brandon Adams in March 2021 being the only exception. His most recent bout, while marking his first win without a stoppage, may have been his best: a dominant points victory over Argentina’s former world titleholder Brian Mendoza to win an interim belt in March.
“I fought hard to win the WBC interim world title, and now I am looking to defend this title for my goal of becoming the ultimate world champion,” Bohachuk said. “I know Vergil Ortiz – he is a very tough competitor. But on Aug. 10, I will show that I am the best in the division.”
“Talk about bombs away,” said Oscar De La Hoya, chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, which represents Ortiz. “With 44 knockouts in 45 victories between Vergil and Bohachuk, there is almost no way this fight is going the distance.”
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