After more than six years of being recognized as one of boxing's top rising prospects, unbeaten 27-year-old junior middleweight Vergil Ortiz Jr. enters arguably the biggest fight of his career on Saturday, and one that could finally put him on the doorstep of a major fight.

Ortiz (23-0, 21 KOs) will return to his home base of greater Dallas when he headlines a fight card (DAZN, 8 p.m. ET) from Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, in a 12-round bout against former title challenger Erickson Lubin (27-2, 19 KOs) for the interim WBC belt at 154 pounds. A victory would likely set Ortiz up for a showdown against unbeaten Jaron "Boots" Ennis, a former unified welterweight champion, in one of boxing's most anticipated fights of 2026.

Considering the extended lull in the boxing calendar over the s

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