Victor Ortiz Signs Bare Knuckle Deal
Former world boxing champion Victor Ortiz signed a multi-fight deal with BKB, transitioning to bare knuckle boxing. The move brings star power to the growing sport, with Ortiz promising to make an impact after his controversial career that included the infamous Mayweather KO. Social media buzz shows boxing fans discussing his transition from traditional gloves.
Ortiz captured the WBC welterweight title in a thrilling 2011 "Fight of the Year" against the previously undefeated Andre Berto. The match was a back-and-forth slugfest where both fighters were knocked down, but Ortiz ultimately won by unanimous decision. His reign as champion was short-lived, ending just five months later in a bizarre and controversial knockout loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. In the fourth round, Ortiz intentionally headbutted Mayweather, leading to a point deduction. As Ortiz apologized and with his hands down, Mayweather landed a two-punch combination that ended the fight. The Mayweather fight purse highlighted a significant disparity in their star power at the time; Ortiz earned a guaranteed $2 million, while Mayweather's guarantee was $25 million, which reportedly grew to around $40 million. The pay-per-view event itself was a massive success, generating 1.25 million buys and over $78 million in revenue. Following the Mayweather bout, Ortiz's career had mixed results, including losses to Josesito López and a rematch defeat to Andre Berto where Berto scored a fourth-round knockout. His last professional boxing match was a unanimous decision victory over Todd Manuel in May 2022. Ortiz is not the only notable boxer to transition to bare-knuckle fighting. BKB has also signed other former world champions like Yuriorkis Gamboa, Paulie Malignaggi, and Lee Selby, indicating a growing trend of established boxers moving to the sport. Beyond the ring, "Vicious" Victor has cultivated a career in entertainment, appearing in the film "The Expendables 3" and competing on the television show "Dancing with the Stars."
