Vergil Ortiz Jr. edged out a victory over Ukraine’s Serhii Bohachuk to earn the interim WBC light middleweight title this weekend.
Ortiz and Bohachuk put on a show in their 12-round affair for the interim WBC light middleweight title. Both boxers traded heavy hands in the fight’s opening seconds, with Bohachuk finding repeated success with his patented lead uppercut.
Ortiz withstood Bohachuk’s early barrage and stunned his opponent with an overhand right near the end of Round 1. He began building momentum by landing to Bohachuk’s body and using a diverse attack.
Ortiz’s pace and pressure never wilted as the fight went on. But, Bohachuk had his fair share of success in the pocket as Ortiz pushed forward, landing sharp hooks to the body.
After 12 rounds of clinical boxing from both fighters, Ortiz walked away with the majority decision win over Bohachuk to become the interim WBC light middleweight titleholder. This likely won’t be the last time these two brawlers meet in the ring in their decorated careers.
Vergil Ortiz Jr. vs. Serhii Bohachuk turns into a backyard brawl
Watch the full fight highlights from Ortiz vs. Bohachuk below.
Ortiz’s victory moved him to 22-0 in his professional boxing career. This was the first time in his career that he went the full fight distance after earning 21 straight knockout wins inside the ring.
Bohachuk’s loss snapped a six-fight winning streak in the ring, including recent victories over Brian Mendoza and Patrick Allotey. He won the interim WBC light middleweight belt over Mendoza by unanimous decision in March.
Ortiz has a few enticing options for his next boxing appearance. He could wait it out for a possible clash with Terence Crawford, or wait for the winner of Sebastian Fundora vs. Errol Spence Jr. later this year.