Vergil Ortiz had a statement to make in taking on former junior-middleweight champion Israil Madrimov after the former champion’s August title loss to Terence Crawford.
Texas’ Ortiz underlined that message Saturday, outworking Madrimov and flashing impressive strides with his jab and defense to win a unanimous decision by scores of 117-111, 115-113, 115-113, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
“I knew I was the better fighter,” Ortiz, 23-0 (21 KOs), said in the ring afterward, following his stirring rally from Madrimov’s early effectiveness, which reddened both of Ortiz’s eyes in the opening rounds.
“I wanted to prove I’m the best and that I’ll say yes to everybody,” the 26-year-old added.
While the division’s other three champions (Sebastian Fundora, Terence Crawford, Bakhram Murtazaliev) are tied up as they head to other bouts, Crawford retains his WBC interim title and elevates as the division’s most formidable contender after defeating Uzbekistan’s Madrimov 10-2-1 (7 KOs).
Madrimov was returning from his narrow unanimous-decision loss to four-division champion Terence Crawford on August 3 in the WBA junior-middleweight title bout while Ortiz followed a week later by edging Serhii Bohachuk by majority decision, overcoming two knockdowns in Las Vegas.
Madrimov’s movement dictated the first round, as he out-moved the straight ahead Ortiz and reddened his eye by mostly jabbing. That superior evasion and activity kept Madrimov in control in the second, as Ortiz’s corner urged him to apply the jab.
Madrimov landed the more effective punches in the third, avoiding Ortiz’s famed power and crisply shifting away friom danger and into punching position.
Ortiz responded by seeking to close the distance and unleash right hands, bringing the pressure that has built his career.
Madrimov became more content to trade punches in the fifth, and Ortiz obliged, perhaps edging closer on the cards. Ortiz continued landing the better power punches in the sixth, outlanding Madrimov 20-5 in the round.
“I stayed smart, patient and composed,” Ortiz said.
Madrimov’s corner urged him to keep moving between rounds and he found Ortiz early in the seventh, but Ortiz’s effectiveness on defense and offensively was impressive.
Ortiz’s developed jab paced him to success in the eighth, setting up scoring right hands.
“I get excited in there because I love to fight,” Ortiz said.
Ortiz went vicious in the ninth, landing a barrage of hurtful right hands to the body, adding in a brutal head shot and a wicked right uppercut to the face to close the round.
Madrimov’s desperation made the 10th round the best of the fight, as he landed hard overhand rights and willingly exchanged with Ortiz as each unleashed and landed power blows.
Madrimov, aware that he lost to Crawford because he dropped the last two rounds in August, let his hands go in the 11th even if it meant he was subjected to blows.
In the 12th, the pair fulfilled the hype of their bout as the best of this stacked card, displaying their willingness to engage as Crawford looked on from ringside.
Perhaps it was a nod to the great four-division champion, who heads to a September date with super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez crafted by Saudi Arabia boxing power broker Turki Alalshikh, but may ultimately return to 154lbs.
“Everyone Turki gives me, I say yes,” Ortiz said.
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