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Mike CoppingerESPN
Vergil Ortiz Jr. and Michael McKinson have agreed to a fight that will headline a DAZN event in early 2022, sources told ESPN on Monday.
Ortiz, ESPN’s No. 4 welterweight, is one of boxing’s fastest-rising stars. In his toughest test yet, Ortiz encountered some early rocky moments before scoring an eighth-round stoppage of Egidijus Kavaliauskas in August.
The power-punching Texan was ranked No. 4 on ESPN’s top 25 boxers under 25. Ortiz (18-0, 18 KOs) also owns a win over former champion Maurice Hooker, a seventh-round KO in March.
McKinson (21-0, 2 KOs) doesn’t offer name recognition or experience, but he does present the sort of awkward southpaw style that will only aid Ortiz’s development.
The 27-year-old Englishman only has two knockout wins, but he has scored six knockdowns in his last four fights.
Ortiz, 23, is promoted by Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions.