On Saturday night, Vergil Ortiz experienced a few firsts. He was knocked down twice, which were the first two times he hit the canvas in his career. Next, he went the distance for the first time in his career, defeating Serhii Bohachuk by a majority decision at the Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.
In a slug-fest, one judge had it even, 113-113, which was overruled by two other judges who scored the fight 114-112(2x).
Bohachuk (24-2, 23 KOs) had Ortiz (22-0, 21 KOs) down in the first and eighth rounds, but he didn’t appear really hurt.
To Ortiz’s credit, he battled back in this fight and ultimately outlanded Bohachuk(265-225). He outlanded Bohachuk in rounds 9, 11, and 12, which helped him get the decision.
Despite the knockdowns, the 26-year-old Ortiz felt he did enough to win the fight.
“This has been what we have been fighting for since I was five years old,” said Ortiz, Jr. “Straight from school, go to the gym, do my homework, and get straight to work. When I went pro, it was all-day business – 24/7 boxing, and it has finally paid off. The first knockdown, I didn’t feel like it was a true knockdown, I felt like I hit his shoe, but the second one really was one. I feel like I did enough to win this fight. I proved everyone wrong. Everyone was saying that I’m washed, that I can’t fight at 154, or that I can’t go the distance. All of that fueled me. I am the best in the world now.”
The 29-year-old Bohachuk believes the world knows who won the fight,
“People saw this fight today, and the real boxing fans who watched this fight know what happened tonight,” said Bohachuk. “I am feeling great. I knocked him down twice. I want to support my country, Ukraine; I want to say thank you to all the fans for all the support.”
Look, this fight could have gone either way, so there isno robbery here. What’s next for Ortiz? A rematch with Bohachuk is possible.
There are some other big fights at 154 pounds, like WBO 154-pound champion Terence Crawford, who Ortiz called out after the win, and maybe IBF 147-pound champion Jaron Ennis if he decides to move up.
Overall, this could be a learning experience for Ortiz, making him a better fighter in the future.
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