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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.
Source: www.espn.com