"I’m staying at welterweight until I get that first title" - Vergil Ortiz Jr. wants to stay at 147 pounds until he is a world champion

Vergil Ortiz Jr. has claimed that he plans to stay in the welterweight division until he wins a world championship. Doubts about Ortiz's future at 147 pounds were raised after he pulled out of his last fight due to a medical issue.

Ortiz, however, confirmed that he has no problems making the weight and said:

“I’m staying at welterweight until I get that first title. I want to be clear about that. Hopefully I don’t have to wait too long.”

Vergil Ortiz Jr. will face Michael McKinson on August 6 in Forth Worth, Texas. The fight was originally scheduled for March, but Ortiz dropped out because he felt unwell in the build-up to the bout. Fans then speculated what the issue was, and Ortiz Sr. said that his son was dropping weight too fast.

The aforementioned problems, however, seem to have come from a medical condition called rhabdomyolysis. The condition results in the breakdown of muscle tissue into the blood.

Ortiz, however, spoke about possibly moving up in the future and added:

“I guess it depends on the opportunities I get once I win that belt, If I have to wait for that second belt as long as I did to get the first belt, then I’ll probably be like, ‘Fu*k this, I’m moving up.’ If I get another crack at another title soon after I win my first belt, then I’ll stick around for that.”

Vergil Ortiz Jr. is only 24 years of age, so it does make sense that he would outgrow the welterweight division in the future. Ortis also seems to have lofty ambitions that go beyond becoming a world champion in one weight class.

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Vergil Ortiz Jr. is in his first fight back after suffering from rhabdomyolysis

Through eighteen bouts, Ortiz has knocked out all eighteen of his opponents. It is not as if he has faced low-level opposition, either. In his last fight, Ortiz stopped former world title challenger Egidijus Kavaliauskas. His last bout before that was against former world champion Maurice Hooker.

As such, Ortiz is seen as one of the most promising prospects for Golden Boy Promotions, as well as boxing in general.

Ortiz will be wanting to carry on the momentum and keep the knock-out streak going in his next fight. Michael Mckinson (22-0) is undefeated, but he doesn't possess much punching power, racking up only 2 stoppage defeats up to this point in his career.

Ortiz will inevitably have to deal with questions regarding how his last fight was called off. The boxer was hoptitalized from suffering a serious medical condition, and this will be his first fight back. It may take him a while to get back in to his best form — it may be even more difficult to get the KO he desires.

Whether Ortiz remains at 147 pounds in the future remains to be seen, yet what he has shown is that he is destined for greatness.

Watch Ortiz's last bout below: