Vergil Ortiz Jr. confirmed he’s too injured to challenge IBF junior middleweight champion Bakhram Murtazaliev on June 28th on Turki Alalshikh’s planned event on Alcatraz.
Ortiz Jr. (23-0, 21 KOs) says he’s got hand injuries and a cut that is still healing from his last fight against Israil Madrimov. However, he does want to fight in the summer, but against Jermell Charlo or Sebastian Fundora. Neither of those are realistic.
Ortiz Jr. doesn’t say his choice since he’s not interested in fighting the dangerous puncher Murtazaliev. If he’s going to defend his WBC interim 154-lb title next, these are the highest ranked contenders:
- Serhii Bohachuk
- Xander Zayas
- Charles Conwell
- Jesus Ramos Jr.
- Israil Madrimov
Injury Report
“I heard it’s in June. My hands are not ready. I got a cut from the fight that is not ready. So, the chances of that happening is slim to none,” said Vergil Ortiz Jr. to the Ariel x Ade Boxing Show about the possibility of him and IBF junior middleweight champion Bakhram Murtazaliev fighting on June 28th on Alcatraz. “So, I’m not ready to fight on the card if it happens. That’s just the logic of it.”
The hand injuries and the still-healing cut might be a good thing for Vergil Ortiz Jr. because it would be a tough road for him if he did face Murtazaliev on Turki Alalshikh’s event on June 28th in Alcatraz.
That fight would require Vergil Jr. to take some vicious shots and he might not be capable. He looked like he’d been a trainwreck after his three rounds against Israil Madrimov on February 22nd, and that was against a guy that was ill and moving around the ring. Bakhram would stand right in front of Ortiz Jr, loading up on everything. You can say that Vergil Jr’s injuries are good for him because the alternative is fighting Murtazaliev and ending up like Tszyu.
Summer Targets
“What are the three names you’re hunting for in the summer in 2025?” said Ade Oladipo to Vergil Jr.
“[Sebastian] Fundora, he’s got the WBC [and the WBO junior middleweight titles],” said Ortiz Jr. naming who he wants to fight this year. “I believe [Jermell] Charlo is a good fight. There’s a lot of people saying, ‘He’s done,’ then you got a lot of people saying I can’t beat him. I think people would love to see that he’s a good fighter, and I would love the opportunity to fight him.
“As for three, I think Murtazaliev. I think he’s a good fighter. That’s a fight that everyone wants to see. I was reading all the Tweets and that’s one that everyone was excited about, and I’m not one to shy away from a fight. So, I think that’s a very good fight as well.
Ortiz Jr. should put Jermell Charlo out of his mind and focus on what is possible. The tooth fairy isn’t going to deliver Jermell to him in the summer. If Vergil Jr. is going to fight in the summer, he’s going to have to bite the bullet and take the fight that Turki Alalshikh is offering him. If that’s Bakhram Murtazaliev, that’s what there is for him.
Last Updated on 03/11/2025
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