Top Rank presents a special Thursday night edition of world championship boxing action as the WBO super-lightweight world champion Teofimo “The Takeover” Lopez will defend his title against the 10th ranked WBO contender Jamaine “The Technician” Ortiz.
On February 8th, the Lopez-Ortiz clash will take place at the Michelob Ultra Arena at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas live on ESPN. Lopez plans on having a successful title defense and then proceeding to move on to a more lucrative challenge, while Ortiz is confident he will score the massive upset.
Back in October 2020, the then IBF lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez earned a signature win when he defeated Vasiliy Lomachenko and won the WBA, and WBO lightweight titles. One year later, Lopez suffered a shocking upset when he lost his unified crown to George Kambosos Jr.
Lopez would return to the ring as a super-lightweight in August 2022 as he defeated Pedro Campa by way of 7th round TKO. Four months later he scored a split decision victory over Sandor Martin.
In his only fight of 2023, Teofimo Lopez collected another signature win. He dominated the former undisputed super-lightweight champion Josh Taylor as he won the bout via unanimous decision. With the victory, Teofimo Lopez won the WBO strap and he officially became a two-division world champion.
Recently, the 26-year-old Teofimo Lopez (19-1, 13 KOs) has been trying to position himself for a high-profile bout by calling out 147-pound unified world champion Terence “Bud” Crawford. Before The Takeover can focus on Crawford, he must first take care of business against a very determined opponent.
Jamaine Ortiz started receiving notoriety back in May 2022 when he posted an upset victory over the former WBO junior-lightweight champion Jamel Herring. Five months later, Ortiz got off to a quick start against former three-weight world champion Vasiliy Lomachenko, but unfortunately, he faded in the later rounds and lost via unanimous decision.
Ortiz would bounce back as he went on to defeat Antonio Moran. Now the 27-year-old Jamaine Ortiz (17-1-1, 8 KOs) is on the verge of fighting another high-profile opponent, but this time, Ortiz has a chance to win his first world title.
The champion Teofimo Lopez, is a boxer-puncher who has all the tools. He’s fast, athletic, has good timing, and he’s a good counter puncher. The challenger Jamaine Ortiz, is also an athletic boxer. Ortiz is a switch-hitter who’s not a big puncher, but he has good hand speed, nice footwork, and an active jab.
On Thursday night, February 8th, at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT, Jamaine Ortiz will participate in the biggest fight of his professional career. Ortiz is confident in his boxing skills, and when he leaves Las Vegas, he plans on going back home to Massachusetts as the new WBO super-lightweight champion.
Teofimo Lopez is at the point in his career in which he doesn’t care too much about the money due to the fact that he’s motivated by the glory, and he feels it’s time for him to wear his crown. Lopez isn’t going to overlook Ortiz, but he feels that he’s levels above his opponent.
“Jamaine Ortiz, I’m not going to overlook him at all,” Lopez said on the all-access show ‘Blood Sweat & Tears.’ “Regardless of what the other side is doing, I got to stay focused on what I’m doing. It’s me versus me every time I go out there and fight; every time I go out there and train, I’m focusing on how do I beat myself.”
