Teofimo Lopez Defeats Jamaine Ortiz By a Unanimous Decision


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Teofimo Lopez Defeats Jamaine Ortiz By a Unanimous Decision

Teofimo Lopez (20-1, 13 KOs) defended his WBO and Ring Magazine junior welterweight world titles with a unanimous decision win over Jamaine Ortiz (17-2-1, 8 KOs) Thursday evening at Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.

Lopez was the aggressor, while Ortiz employed a cautious strategy that resulted in exchanges that were few and far between.

Ortiz, who normally fights from an orthodox stance, boxed from the outside as a southpaw, using footwork and jabs to set up quick counters. Lopez pushed forward, bursting with jabs and right hands, though he had difficulty cutting off the ring, especially following the third and fourth rounds.

In the seventh round, a clash of heads caused a cut on Ortiz’s left eyebrow, and he seemed to slow down. But Ortiz continued to pepper shots from a distance, while Lopez accelerated his offense.

One judge scored the bout 117-111, and the other two had it 115-113. Lopez swept the final three rounds on all three judges’ cards.

Lopez said, “I tried my best for the people. I even tried to box going backward, and he didn’t want to commit.

“Glory is next for me. None of these guys want to fight me. I’ll fight {Terence} Crawford at a catchweight. I’m here. I’m ready. I’ve always been ready.  I’m younger, prettier, and a two-time unified champion at 25.

“We’re talking about a lightweight {Keyshawn Davis}. He hasn’t done anything. Just like Vasiliy Lomachenko told me: If you want to fight me, you’ve got to get a world title. If you want to fight the king, get a world title.”

Ortiz said, “I stuck to the game plan. I was listening to my corner and my team. I was doing good. I thought I was winning. That’s what I believe. I believe I won the fight. What can I say? I came up short once again.

“I just felt like he couldn’t hit me. I was making him miss all night. I was countering. I was making him miss. I was hitting him with the jab and the check hook. I just felt like he wasn’t landing any shots on me.”

“I always stay true to who I am. But we’ll go back to the drawing board, make some adjustments, and come back for a title shot.”

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