Ennis confident Ortiz fight gets done at 160, focused on belts for now
Just because the fight didn’t happen when it was supposed to, doesn’t mean it’ll never happen.
That’s how Jaron Ennis views a potential superfight with Vergil Ortiz.
The two were deep in negotiations for a mega showdown in April but the deal broke down after Ortiz filed a lawsuit against his handlers Golden Boy Promotions. Ortiz wanted to leave Oscar De La Hoya's company to secure a fight with Ennis and the legal situation rumbled on for months before the two sides reached an amicable settlement in July.
Instead of waiting around, Ennis, rated No. 1 by The Ring at 154 pounds, took on Xander Zayas in June at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, winning by seventh-round stoppage victory to grab the WBA and WBO junior middleweight titles.
Ortiz (24-0, 22 KOs), ranked No. 2 at 154 by The Ring, hasn’t fought in 2026, but is eyeing a move to the middleweight division for his next bout.
A fight between the pair looks farther apart than ever before, but Ennis has no doubt in his mind that they will eventually meet.
“For sure,” Ennis told YSM Sports Media when asked if he’ll fight Ortiz at some point. “We definitely can make it happen. If he’s going to 160, let him go ahead and do his thing at 160. I’ll see him there. Right now, my mind is on belts.”
Ennis is set to fight IBF champion Josh Kelly by the end of the year. If he’s successful against him, Ennis (36-0, 32 KOs, 1 NC) would then target Sebastian Fundora’s WBC title to complete his undisputed dreams.
Ortiz has yet to win a world title, something Ennis took time to poke fun at.
“What’s that? His fourth weight class, no belt?” Ennis said. “I came to your division and became a two-division, unified champion.”