Vergil Ortiz Jr. vs Michael McKinson: Who is the better knockout artist?

Vergil Ortiz Jr. and Michael McKinson will have the biggest fight of their careers on Saturday when they take on each other at the Dickies Arena in Texas. The two welterweights will be putting their flawless records on the line as they try to climb the 147-pound ladder.

While both fighters are undefeated, their wins are somewhat completely parallel to each other. Ortiz is 18-0, with all of his wins coming by way of knockouts, giving him a whopping 100% KO rate.

Meanwhile, McKinson holds a record of 22-0 with only two knockouts under his belt, which gives him a knockout rate of 9.09%.

With this, Ortiz is likelier to strike a knockout, but his British opponent will be banking on his boxing IQ and experience. Having 89 more rounds under his name compared to Ortiz, McKinson will surely utilize his in-ring smarts, which may prove pivotal should their fight reach the later rounds.

When it comes to their physical attributes, the two are almost identical. Ortiz stands 5′10” tall and has a reach of 70”. McKinson, on the other hand, stands at 5′9″ and also has a 70” reach. The only glaring difference is their fighting stance, as the 24-year-old Ortiz fights orthodox while 28-year-old McKinson is a southpaw.

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Vergil Ortiz Jr. back in action after life-threatening condition

Vergil Ortiz Jr. and Michael McKinson were supposed to clash in March this year. However, during fight week, Ortiz had to bow out after being diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis.

Rhabdomyolysis can be a life-threatening condition caused by muscle breakdown and muscle death, leading to serious consequences, including renal failure.

Ortiz was last seen in the ring in an eighth-round TKO win over former welterweight title challenger Egidijus Kavaliauskas in August 2021, which he acknowledged as his toughest fight to date.

DAZN reported that Ortiz is very excited to get back inside the squared circle again. He said:

“I am very happy to be stepping back into the ring again. I’m ready to show the world once again why I’m ready for a world title.”