Fight Week Preview

The new year rings in with just one big-time card, but it's a massive one that takes place in the fight Capital City of the world, Las Vegas, Nevada. In the main event, Vergil Ortiz. 19-0 (19) returns to the ring for just the second time in 28 months and for the first time in 16 months when he stopped Michael Mckinosn in Fort Worth, Texas, over nine one-sided rounds. Now, the undefeated Texan battles long-time African fringe contender Fredrick Lawson 30-3 (22) of Accra, Ghana. Lawson is coming off a career-best victory over Estevan Villalobos in Arlington, Texas, just seven miles or so, from where Ortiz grew up. It will be the 154-pound debut for Ortiz.

The card also features a loaded including a 12-round WBA eliminator between O'hara Davies of Hackney, UK is coming off a very impressive 9th-round TKO of Lewis Ritson, a career-best win that moved his record to 25-2 (18). Davies will be a large betting favorite against 40-year-old Venezuelan veteran Ismael Barroso 24-4-2 (22), the aging southpaw is coming off the "Robbery of the year" a ridiculous stoppage loss to Rolly Romero, a fight the Venezuelan was up on the cards in and in no noticeable trouble had the fight stopped on him because of his age according to referee Tony Weeks. Also on the card is two undefeated contenders closing in on title fights 140-pounder Arnold Barboza, 28-0 (10), makes his golden boy debut against Xolisani Ndongeni, 31-3 (18), and Raul Curiel, 13-0 (11), takes a solid challenge against Elias Diaz 12-1 (7) who stopped David Thomas in one round on a Thompson Promotions card back in February 2023.