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Vergil Ortiz Jr. will face the undefeated Michael McKinson on August 6 with the hopes of stepping closer to a welterweight world title shot. Boasting a 100% knockout ratio in his 18-0 record, Ortiz Jr. is one of the most prolific names on the existing 147 lbs roster.
However, the 24-year-old came across a tough test in his last appearance against ‘Mean Machine’ Egidijus Kavaliauskas. Ortiz Jr. got shaken several times in the fight. Although he knocked Kavaliauskas out, the bout seemingly displayed loopholes in Ortiz Jr’s game.
Watch the highlights of the fight below:
Ahead of this week’s return, Vergil Ortiz Jr. and his father looked back at the fight against Kavaliauskas and discussed their opinions on it. Ortiz Jr. said:
“Yeah, it was [ugly]. I mean I feel like when it was happening, I was aware of everything you know. I don’t know how other people take it but I was very aware right there. I still went up on the weight of my own punch.”
Ortiz Jr. acknowledged 'Mean Machine' as a tough opponent, but didn’t cite the fight as extremely demanding. While Vergil Ortiz returned all the shots to his opponent in Round 8, it justifies his recent take on the whole fight.
Egidijus Kavaliauskas only lost against WBO champion Terence Crawford before Vergil Ortiz Jr. beat him in August 2021. This verifies ‘Mean Machine’ to be a top-tier contender and Ortiz Jr. realized it inside the ring.
After an entertaining first round, Kavaliauskas rocked Ortiz Jr. with an uppercut in the second. He followed it with a right hand and left the American on the canvas. However, it wasn’t ruled as a knockdown. Ortiz regained momentum in the third round and battered his opponent to the mat.
All the action came to a halt after Vergil Ortiz knocked down ‘Mean Machine’ four times in Round 8 and earned his 18th professional stoppage. The young prospect will now face another unbeaten fighter but still seems favorite in the mix.
Vergil Ortiz Jr. vs. Michael McKinson is all set to thrill the fans
McKinson (22-0) has more professional experience than his upcoming opponent Ortiz Jr. Nevertheless, he only has two stoppage wins in 22 fights, and that doesn't match the status of Vergil Ortiz Jr. The American fighter is known for putting his opponents to sleep. He is likely to try the same in the nearing bout.
That said, a tough test against Egidijus Kavaliauskas may benefit Ortiz. He cannot let his defense slip or else it will open the gate for his opponent to hit.
The winner of Ortiz vs. McKinson could crack a shot at 147 lbs gold. So, fans can expect fireworks as we will see two unbeaten prospects clash. The fight will be available live on the DAZN.
