Vergil Ortiz Jr (18-0, 18 KOs) of Grand Prairie, Texas defends his WBO International welterweight title against top 10-ranked undefeated contender Michael McKinson (22-0, 2 KOs) of Portsmouth, Great Britain at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, TX on Saturday, August 6. The pair squares off in the scheduled for twelve rounds main event live on DAZN. Kicking off the Fight Week the fighters hosted a media workout.
Also partaking in a media workout were newly crowned unified WBC and WBA flyweight champion Marlen Esparza (12-1, 1 KOs), Maurice Hooker (27-2-3, 18 KOs) and Blair Cobbs (15-1-1, 10 KOs). Check out below what they had to say.
Ortiz Jr vs McKinson tickets can be purchased via TicketNetwork and Vivid Seats.
Vergil Ortiz Jr., WBO International welterweight titleholder
“I feel very good. I am excited to get back into the ring. It’s been a year – a really long layoff. I wish we could have been a little bit more active, but we’re here now and ready to make the most out of it.”
“I’m expecting a very tactical fight – almost like a chess match in there. I think fans will get to see how smart I am in the ring.”
“It’s exciting and motivating to be on the threshold to bigger opportunities. It makes me want to work harder.”
“It’s a hometown crowd and I hope we get to pack the house.”
Michael McKinson, undefeated welterweight contender
“It feels good to be here. Obviously, back in March, unfortunate circumstances happened and Ortiz had to withdraw. But we got the opportunity again, so a big shout out and thank you to Team Golden Boy because they didn’t need to offer it to me again, but they did.”
“It feels good to be in Texas. For me and where I’m from, fighting in the States is big – I get to do it twice and I get to headline both. I’m happy.”
“I’m not going to have to be looking for Ortiz this time around. He’s a young lion, he hasn’t really put a foot wrong, and I’m really here just trying to tame the lion. I’ll win U.S. fans like I did last time.”
“A win over Ortiz changes my life; it changes my city of Portsmouth, my team, my daughter and everyone around me.”
Marlen Esparza, unified WBC and WBA flyweight champion
“I’m feeling great about my first ring defense. We had a great camp; we’ve been focusing on this since the last time I was in the ring. We knew we didn’t want to stop any of the momentum, we asked for a quick turnaround, and Golden Boy also wanted a quick turnaround and so far, so good. I’m looking forward to get in there and get it done.”
“It’s going to be an exciting fight, it’s not an easy opponent. We’ve been working hard. It’s going to be somewhat a little different from my end – it’s going to be entertaining.”
“There’s going to be a lot of fireworks for sure. I’ve been practicing a lot of different styles. The fans haven’t seen everything that I can do yet!”
Maurice Hooker, former light welterweight world champion
“I’m confident, and I’m ready to do my job.”
“I’m going to do the same thing that you saw last fight: I’m coming to fight and I’m not cowering down to anybody.”
“Since my last fight, I’ve stayed in camp, stayed training so that I could be ready for anything to come my way. I expect a big crowd and everyone to be there for me.”
“I’m not really worried about what my opponent says. I’m from the hood. They hype me up. My fans can expect a good fight. I’m coming for it all, and I am putting it all out for Ms. Stacey.”
Blair Cobbs, welterweight contender
“I’m just focused, locked in, and ready for my opponent.”
“My last fight was a circumstantial lost. It’s not a big deal to me. I am the most exciting man in boxing, and I put on a show no matter if it’s a win or a loss – Blair “The Flair” puts on a great show.”
“I’m more focused and driven. I have a solid team that is better than ever. Blair “The Flair” is looking to be the best fighter he can possibly be every single fight. I made a lot of changes within my camp to make sure that fans get the best entertainment.”
“The guy I am fighting is tall, he’s strong, and lanky. He’s better than the last fighter I fought.”
“There’s no ‘stay busy’ fights, there’s no ‘easy’ fights. This is a hard fight, a big fight, and could easily become the pound-for-pound main event.”
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