Victor Ortiz Goes Bare Knuckle
Former world champion Victor Ortiz signed a multi-fight deal with Bare Knuckle Boxing (BKB), making a dramatic career pivot. This signals the increasing legitimacy and appeal of bare knuckle promotions for established boxing names seeking new opportunities.
"Vicious" Victor Ortiz's professional boxing career spanned from 2004 to 2022, culminating in a record of 33 wins, 7 losses, and 3 draws. A high point of his career was capturing the WBC welterweight title in a thrilling 2011 "Fight of the Year" against the previously undefeated Andre Berto. His title reign was short-lived, ending in a controversial and highly publicized knockout loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. just five months later. The fight ended when Mayweather landed a two-punch combination while Ortiz was seemingly apologizing for a headbutt. This fight, along with losses to Marcos Maidana and a rematch defeat to Berto, marked pivotal moments in his boxing trajectory. Ortiz is the latest in a line of established boxers to transition to bare-knuckle fighting, following figures like former world champions Paulie Malignaggi, Yuriorkis Gamboa, and Lee Selby into the BKB promotion. This trend highlights the growing appeal of bare-knuckle promotions for fighters seeking new challenges and opportunities. The move to BKB will place Ortiz in a different combat environment. Fights in the promotion typically consist of five two-minute rounds, a significant change from the standard three-minute rounds in professional boxing. While hand-wrapping is permitted, fighters compete without traditional boxing gloves. Ortiz's debut in the bare-knuckle ring is anticipated in the coming months, though a specific date and opponent have not yet been announced. He has expressed his ambition to win another world title in this new discipline. The BKB welterweight division currently has Jimmy Sweeney as its champion, who also holds the super welterweight title, presenting a potential future target for Ortiz. The promotion features a triangular ring, known as the "trigon," which will be a new experience for the former boxing champion. Beyond the ring, Ortiz has maintained a public profile with appearances on "Dancing with the Stars" and roles in films like "The Expendables 3" and "Southpaw." This crossover appeal is a key factor in his signing, as noted by BKB's founder, Mike Vazquez.
