Vergil Ortiz (23-0, 21 KOs) will face a challenging opponent tonight when he takes on the Ring’s No. 5 ranked junior middleweight, Erickson Lubin (27-2, 19 KOs). The bout will take place at the Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, 20 miles away from Ortiz’s hometown of Grand Prairie.
Lubin is willing to step into the lion’s den and try to play the lion tamer. Two-time super lightweight world champion Regis Prograis believes Lubin is underrated by many, and he will surprise them with his performance tonight.
Prograis has been working with Lubin during this camp, and from what he saw in Las Vegas, he believes he will give Ortiz everything he can handle. Regis sees a hungry fighter who has something to prove and someone who has learned a lot from his two losses to Sebastian Fundora and Jermell Charlo. He has learned to be smarter and will try to apply a tactical approach that will minimize the damage he takes through boxing, using his agility and evasion.
Reducing his exposure will result in him reducing the time he spends in the pocket. He faces a fighter in Ortiz with a 91.3 percent knockout rate. He suffered serious damage in his match against Fundora due to his overly combative nature wanting to trade with the 6’6 fighter.
Since that bout, Lubin has won three straight and hopes to continue his streak against Ortiz. He knows another loss will derail his progress and perhaps end his forward movement toward a world title. Ortiz is as tough an opponent as the ones that cost Lubin his two losses. Vergil has a 25.8 percent jab connection rate, which is one of the highest in the sport (Compubox). Lubin’s success will be based on how successfully he can defend Vergil’s jab. Prograis didn’t pick a winner as he knows how both fighters are; he will attend tonight as a spectator and hopes to enjoy a great fight. He knows Ortiz is a talented fighter who will be tested by a fiercely ambitious fighter with a chip on his shoulder.
The winner of this match is expected to fight Jaron “Boots” Ennis in a superfight sometime next year. Boots is expected to be in attendance and see first-hand who his next potential opponent could be.
Ennis recently stated that he is looking for a fight with the winner and will try to collect all the titles in the division in hopes of becoming the undisputed champion. There is huge fan interest in an Ortiz-Ennis matchup, which would only be undone tonight by an upset Lubin. The 154-pound division is poised to become one of the most exciting divisions in boxing if the top contenders do as they say and fight each other.
Last updated on 11/08/2025
 will face a challenging opponent tonight when he faces the Ring’s number 5-ranked junior middleweight, Erickson Lubin (27-2, 19){kind=link}