On Thursday, Feb. 8, the Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino will host a thrilling night of boxing as Teofimo Lopez defends his WBO and Ring Magazine titles against Jamaine Ortiz. The highly anticipated bout headlines an exciting televised doubleheader kicking off Big Game Weekend.
“Teofimo Lopez is among the best fighters in the world and always wants to fight the best available opponent. Jamaine Ortiz is a supreme talent who fits the bill,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “I believe Keyshawn Davis is a future world champion, but you can never count out a skilled two-weight world champion like Jose Pedraza. What a fantastic doubleheader for the fans watching on ESPN and at Michelob ULTRA Arena.”
Lopez (19-1, 13 KOs) aims to showcase his prowess once again after securing the WBO and Ring Magazine titles in a stunning upset against former undisputed champion Josh Taylor.
“February 8 at Mandalay Bay, ‘The Takeover’ will entertain inside that squared circle as only I can!” Lopez said. “To the boxing fans around the world, I look to not only dominate and break down Jamaine Ortiz, but to do it in such a fashion that my division will be put on alert.
“Jamaine is tough. I would know, because I faced him back in the amateur days in 2015 for the National Golden Gloves Championship. I’ll show the world that champions don’t flinch when faced with challenges. They rise and shine the brightest when the stakes are highest. This one is for all my people on the Takeover Express! Let’s show the world once again what real boxing looks like.”
Ortiz (17-1-1, 8 KOs), the NABF lightweight title holder, looks to make an impact after an impressive year, including a narrow decision loss to Vasiliy Lomachenko and a dominant win over Antonio Moran. This boxing spectacle promises an unforgettable night for fight fans.
Ortiz said, “This is the most important fight of my career. It’s my first world title bout. I believe this fight will bring out the very best in me, and I’m looking forward to coming home as the new champion!”
In the co-feature, U.S. Olympic silver medalist Keyshawn Davis takes on Puerto Rican former two-division world champion Jose “Sniper” Pedraza in a 10-round lightweight clash.
Promoted by Top Rank in collaboration with Takeover Promotions and CES Boxing, tickets for this electrifying event go on sale Friday, Jan. 5, at 10 a.m. PT via AXS.com.
The action-packed matchups will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN+ at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT.
The post Teofimo Lopez Set to Defend Titles Against Jamaine Ortiz in Las Vegas on Feb. 8 first appeared on The Source.
The post Teofimo Lopez Set to Defend Titles Against Jamaine Ortiz in Las Vegas on Feb. 8 appeared first on The Source.