Boxing fans are set to receive a super lightweight showcase on Thursday, capped off with a Lopez vs Ortiz prediction that should get Las Vegas, Nevada prepared for the Super Bowl festivities taking place a few days later.
Although both of these main event boxers have suffered a loss in their careers, those defeats came against some of the world’s very best in their division — and there’s no shame in losing to the very best.
That being said, both boxers included in this Teofimo Lopez vs Jamaine Ortiz prediction are eager to show the world that whoever emerges with the WBO world super lightweight belt deserves to be seen as the number one boxer in their stacked weight class.
Lopez vs Ortiz Prediction
Teofimo Lopez Preview
Despite not having the same spotless record that many of those that are considered the greatest possess, Teofimo “The Takeover” Lopez — an American boxer with a 19-1 record which includes 13 KO’s — deserves to be mentioned in the conversation for best active boxer; if only because of his victory over the legendary Vasyl Lomachenko in October 2020.
The night his Lightweight Takeover was complete. @TeofimoLopez sat down with @CrystinaPoncher to re-live his signature victory 👑
With that victory, Lopez (just 23 years old at the time) became the second-youngest undisputed champion in boxing history, after Mike Tyson.
Then Lopez lost his next fight.
Since suffering that defeat, however, Lopez has rattled off three straight victories, including an impressive performance over Josh Taylor that won him the WBO super lightweight belt.
When Lopez is at his best, he utilizes a somewhat awkward style to a tee, managing to land punches from unorthodox angles, then finishing his crisp combos with vicious books to both the head and body. Yet, what might be most impressive about Lopez is his willingness to stand and bang.
“The Takeover” has a ton of confidence in his head movement — and when that fails, he also has a ton of confidence in his ability to take a clean punch. While this isn’t necessarily the wisest way to win a fight, Lopez’s ability to bite down on his gum shield, go blow for blow against his opponent, and trust that his chin and power will win out, is always a last-resort tactic that Lopez could use.
Then again, very rarely needs to get to that point, as he is an excellent tactical boxer who has no problem winning rounds due to his elite skillset.
Our Lopez vs Ortiz prediction is that, whatever style Lopez decides to utilize, he will have earned the big payday coming his way.
Jamaine Ortiz Preview
While perhaps not the best known boxer in his weight class, Jamaine “The Technician” Ortiz — an American boxer with a 17-1-1 professional record, which includes eight KO’s — has fought against the best super lightweights, and is more than deserving of his shot at Lopez’s WBO belt.
The biggest win that “The Technician” has earned to this in his career point came in May 2022, when he upset Jamel Herring to earn himself a chance to face Vasyl Lomachenko.
Ortiz has an extremely fluid fighting style. He manages to switch his stance from orthodox to southpaw constantly, while maintaining his crisp, precision boxing and excellent footwork from both sides.
While our Teofimo Lopez vs Jamaine Ortiz prediction is that Ortiz will have less power than his opponent on Thursday, he may be able to make up for that disadvantage by being much harder to hit.
If Ortiz can keep producing unpredictable combinations, and get Lopez to start thinking instead of reacting inside the ring, that might be enough for “The Technician” to secure a massive upset on Thursday and become the WBO super lightweight champion.
Teofimo Lopez vs Jamaine Ortiz Prediction: Teofimo Proves Too Tough to Beat
Our official Lopez vs Ortiz prediction is that Teofimo Lopez will win the fight by decision.
With the exception of one bad night at the office, Teofimo Lopez has proven time and time again that he’s one of the best pound for pound boxers in the world. Even though some people don’t like his demeanor or what he says, nobody can debate his skill.
Considering that Lopez has kept a cool, calm, and collected mindset all week long, we expect to see him prove why he is such a heavy favorite — which is why taking Lopez by decision at -125 is an excellent bet.
That being said, both Lopez and Ortiz have proven to be extremely durable across their professional careers. Even if Ortiz was able to secure an upset — which wouldn’t be the biggest shock — we would expect it to be via decision. For that reason, taking the Over 10.5 rounds (currently available at -250) seems a great choice.
Whoever ends up winning this WBO super lightweight title fight has a massive next fight likely in store for them. Yet, they’d be wise to not get ahead of themselves, as their toughest test looms in Las Vegas on Thursday.
Grant Young is a sports writer from San Francisco. He has had two professional Muay Thai fights: he got knocked out in one, and got a knockout in the other. When it comes to his favorite fighters, it's Israel Adesanya, and then it's everyone else.
