Vergil Ortiz Jr. Outclasses Israil Madrimov

Super welterweight Vergil Ortiz Jr. of Grand Prairie, Texas (23-0, 21 KOs) played against type and played it smart in his fight against Israil Madrimov of Uzbekistan (10-2, 7 KOs) to win a close decision. Ortiz Jr. retains his WBC interim super welterweight title.

Scorecards were 117-111, and 115-113 twice.

“I knew that I was a better fighter,” said Ortiz Jr. after his win. “We knew what kind of fight it was going to be. He’s a tough opponent. He was there to win, to prove himself after a loss against one of the best in the world. And we just want to show that we’re the best at 154 and we say yes to everybody.”

Balanced Performance by Vergil Ortiz Jr.

Ortiz Jr. is a throwback, seek-and-destroy fighter. He says to anyone who will listen that he loves to fight. But he and trainer Robert Garcia knew they had an elusive, tricky opponent in Madrimov who relies on footwork and angles to stay out of harm’s way. So, instead of roaring forward and trading power shots as he did in a tough fight against Serhii Bohachuk, Ortiz Jr. was patient and disciplined. He applied equal attention to his defense while prompting Madrimov to come after him.  

Ortiz Jr. agreed his job was to stay composed and not get over-excited. “Stay patient, you know, no, not overthrow. You know, it’s something I’ve learned over my years in boxing where I just, I put everything in one punch, but I knew that I was gonna have to be smart and pick my punches.”

Ortiz Jr. invested in the body of Madrimov early, not looking to score a knockdown but to “chop down the tree,” as old-school boxing heads say. It forced Madrimov to drop his elbows to protect himself, leaving him open for the hooks and uppercuts. It also slowed him down. Madrimov showed less movement in the ring against Ortiz Jr. than he did in a much better performance against Terence Crawford.

In the ninth round, Ortiz Jr. put everything he had into a single body shot, knocking the wind out of Madrimov. He stayed on his feet, but just barely. It was near the end of the round, and Ortiz Jr. couldn’t capitalize with a knockdown or stoppage.

But as he returned to the corner, trainer Robert Garcia said, “You got him now!” He admonished Ortiz Jr. not to let Madrimov steal any of the championship rounds.

Madrimov had to try and swing for the fences, and it’s simply not his style. He couldn’t land anything hard enough to change the narrative of the fight. Madrimov repeatedly pushed Ortiz Jr.’s head down throughout the fight, and in the final round, he narrowly avoided having a point taken away, escaping with his third warning.

Ortiz Jr. may not be the destroyer of his youth at 147 pounds. But he is a far more well-rounded fighter. He learned a lot from the war with Bohachuk and understands how to use all the tools in his toolkit to win.

Ortiz Jr. is now in position for the title fight he’s been denied. “I just want to fight the best. And everyone who Turkey gives me, I say yes, you can ask him himself. I’ve never ducked anybody, no matter what anybody says.”

Giant Killer Kabayel Knocks Out Zhang

The giant killer did it again in Riyadh.

Agit Kabayel of Germany (26-0, 18 KOs) saw his way through an early knockdown, taking it to Zhilei Zhang of New Jersey (27-3, 22 KOs), scoring a fourth-round knockout win for the WBC interim heavyweight title and thrilling the ANB Arena fans in Riyadh.

Zhang got off to a quick start, and it seemed Kabayel’s string of wins in Saudi Arabia might be in jeopardy.

Kabayel, weighing 46 pounds less than the big Chinese heavyweight who made his ring walk to his own custom song, “Big Bang,” willingly stood and traded with the 41-year-old puncher. It was a pure slugfest.

Kabayel invested to the body of Zhang, and it was his ticket to success – if he could survive the heavy right hands coming back at him.

The approach was working to slow Zhang down, but with one-punch knockout power, the big man remained dangerous. Zhang caught Kayabel in the fifth, a round Kabayel was otherwise losing. Kayabel beat the count, but Zhang had two minutes left in the round. He couldn’t capitalize and close the fight.

The effort exhausted Zhang. His age was catching up with him. Kayabel saw his opportunity and pounced. Kayabel drilled Zhang with body shots, and Zhang took a knee, simply unable to continue. Referee Mark Lyson counted Zhang out, giving Kayabel the victory at 2:29 of the sixth round.

Kabayal has been the underdog in all his best wins against Derek Chisora, Arslanbek Makhmudov, and the unbeaten Cuban Frank Sanchez. Now Kabayel must be considered a serious contender in the heavyweight division against any top name. If Oleksandr Usyk retires and puts his heavyweight belts back in play, Kabayel must be considered a favorite to go fishing and capture a prize.

Zhang is certainly heading for the end of his career. A world title is probably out of his reach at this point. He is still a fan draw and still dangerous with his strength and heavyweight punching power. If he decides to carry on he will become the test opponent for rising talent.