Vergil Ortiz Jr. Plans To Stay At 147lbs Until He Gets A Title

Vergil Ortiz Jr. has made it clear he will stay at 147lbs until he finally wins his first world title.

Ortiz Jr. is coming off a TKO win over Egidijus Kavaliauskas to retain the WBO international welterweight title. He’s now set to face England’s Michael McKinson on August 6 at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, mere miles from his hometown of Grand Prairie, Texas.

If Ortiz Jr. wins, it would set him up to be ready to face Errol Spence Jr. or Terence Crawford – but both men are currently trying to fight one another. With that, Ortiz Jr. will be on the sidelines but he is focused on winning a belt at 147lbs.

“I guess it depends on the opportunities I get once I win that belt,” Ortiz Jr. told BoxingScene.com. “If I have to wait for that second belt as long as I did to get the first belt, then I’ll probably be like, ‘Fuck this, I’m moving up.’ If I get another crack at another title soon after I win my first belt, then I’ll stick around for that. But I’m staying at welterweight until I get that first title. I want to be clear about that. Hopefully I don’t have to wait too long.”

Although Vergil Ortiz Jr. who is 18-0 as a pro, isn’t worried about fighting for a belt soon. Although that is the goal, he says he is fine to continue to prove how good he is as he knows he is only getting better while Spence Jr. and Crawford are only getting older.

“The more experience the better,” noted Ortiz. “Time will definitely be on my side, regardless. Spence and Crawford are in their 30s and I’m only 24 right now. We’ll get there when it’s time.”

Do you think Vergil Ortiz Jr. will become a champ?