Born in Juana Diaz, Puerto Rico, Ortiz moved to the US at age four with his mother and was raised in Reading, PA. He was first introduced to boxing as a child when visiting family in Puerto Rico during the summer months, as his father, uncle and brother were all amateur fighters. By the time he was 14 years old, Ortiz was serious about entering the sport himself.
While compiling an amateur record of 42-7, Ortiz became a three-time Pennsylvania Golden Gloves Champion. Ortiz made his pro debut in May 2017 and is coming off three consecutive knockout victories. He is trained by Rashiem Jefferson out of TKO Fitness Gym, in Cherry Hill, NJ, alongside junior lightweight world champion Tevin Farmer.
"Joshafat Ortiz is a terrific prospect with championship potential," said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. "We have communicated since he was an amateur and he made me want to follow his career. He said that one day I would want to sign him. He was right. Jos has worked hard, improved with every fight, and has the tools and hard grinding mentality to succeed at the highest level in boxing. I'm happy we'll be chasing big things together."
"I'm very thankful for the opportunity given to me by Lou DiBella and DiBella Entertainment. It is an honor to sign with one of the more well-known promotional companies in boxing," said Ortiz. "I trust them to put me in a great position to accomplish my goals. I'm looking forward to this next chapter in my career and, without a doubt, will take full advantage of it. I look forward to bringing several world titles to Reading, PA, and becoming the next Puerto Rican superstar."
Ortiz is managed by Felipe Gomez, of El Matador Management.
"Ortiz is a special fighter with a lot of talent," said Gomez. "He is an exciting boxer to watch. I am confident that by working together with Lou DiBella, we can make Ortiz the next star from Puerto Rico. DiBella is a great promoter who has developed many champions. I know that he will do the same with Ortiz."
Details on Ortiz' next fight will be announced shortly.
