“A couple of them had no footwork,” Ellis said MillCity Boxing when asked about some of the opponents Davis has faced as a professional. The implication was clear. Those fights were made to order. Ortiz is not.
Ortiz is lighter on his feet. He changes angles. He doesn’t stay ahead of you long enough to stand in line. Ellis believes it makes the most early. According to him, the first few rounds will decide whether the night remains manageable for Davis or becomes a grind.
“Ortiz has pretty good feet,” Ellis said. “It’s going to be a tough task for Keyshawn in the first few rounds.”
Ellis framed the fight around one question. Can Davis hurt Ortiz? If the answer is yes, the battle is simplified. Ortiz slows down, the movement fades, and the exchanges get shorter. Davis can settle.
If not, Ellis expects trouble, but not dramatic trouble. It won’t be a crash, just work. Rounds that require adjustment. Rounds that require patience. Rounds that accumulate without separation.
“If he doesn’t hurt himself, he has work to do,” Ellis said. “It’s going to be a close decision. Possibly a tie.”
That assessment cuts against the idea that Davis rolls through the game. It also puts pressure on Davis to show more than control. Ellis believes Ortiz will force that conversation.
Ellis also briefly turned the lens on Ortiz. When reminded that Ortiz pushed Teofimo Lopez hard in 2024, Ellis acknowledged the performance but saw a missed opportunity.
“I think he needs to step it up a little bit more to be successful,” Ellis said. “He didn’t step on the gas enough in that fight.”
That hesitation could matter here. Against Davis, moments do not linger. If Ortiz creates space but doesn’t cash in, rounds slip away.
Ellis is not predicting an upset. He predicts tension. A fight where neither man completely separates. A fight where footwork shapes the early story, and damage determines if it ever changes.
