Can Vergil Ortiz Jr. solve the Madimov puzzle in Riyadh?

Vergil Ortiz Jr. will have a complex puzzle to decide in his fight against the former WBA middleweight champion this Saturday, February 22, on the map of Turks Al-Sheikh in Riyadh. Madimov (10-1-1, 7 Ko) has gained a lot of experience from his recent fight against Teroes Crawford, pushing the aging fighter to his physical borders in Los Angeles in the case of a razor defeat.

(Credit: Melina Pisano/matches)

Madimov is too qualified?

Ortiz Jr. (22-0, 21 CO) will have to show more skills if he wants to hold on to his intermediate title of his 154-foot in 154-foot against the more technical gifted and powerful Madimov. What could work against the 26 -year -old Vergil Jr. is that he is coming out of a grueling fight against Sergius Bohachuk on August 10 last year, and now he is jumping straight into an even more challenging match against Madimov.

Although we saw Vergil Jr. quickly invent and destroy the smooth British boxer Michael McKinson in 2022, Madimov is at a different level than that man. He has size, skill and Golovkin -like forceMaking him a great opponent.

Ortiz Jr. can't just go to Little GGG Madimov the way he made the light, a fragile McKinson and relies on to kill him. If he fights this way against Madimov, he will be repeatedly dropped, as he did in his dubious victory for the decision of the majority of 12 rounds against Bohakhuk. Let's be honest. It was a loss For Vergil Ortiz Jr., but he was endowed by the judges in Nevada. He had dropped himself twice from Bohachuk and it seemed that he lost seven rounds, which should make a clear victory for the Ukrainian.

What made all the fiasco worse even was Ortiz Jr., choosing not to give him a rematch. He said a lot about him. As a fight is organized in Riyadh on Saturday in Ortiz-Madrimov, Vergil Jr. cannot rely on judges to save him if the match is close. He will have to fight much better than against Bohachuk, and he faces a more difficult to hit fighter with better one-time power.

Ortiz Jr. needs plan B

If you saw what Madimov did with Crawford's face, you just know that the easy-to-hit Vergil Jr. would soak a lot of punishment in this competition if he struggles the way he usually does it. The primitive style with which Ortiz Jr. has gotten along during his career will make him easy for loot for Madimov, who dominates these types of fighters.

Vergil Jr. would be forced to change his style a long time ago if he was fighting better opposition and competing at 154 since the beginning of his career. Ortiz Jr. will follow his old book to play an attempt to surpass Madimov, but if it does not work, he will need a plan for Plan B.

🔸🔸🔶 Israil Madimov 🔶🔸🔸

Madimov is the former WBA JMW champion, and his only loss/loss of his strap was for no one other than Budd Crawford.

Entering this match, Crawford was riding a devil from the TKO/KO series, and Madimov managed to go to the full 12 RDS with Bud.

Ortiz, … https://t.co/nbj9onpnfo pic.twitter.com/fjrvwpssk0

– About this life (@aboutthatlifeko) February 16, 2025