Deontay Wilder puts his WBC heavyweight on the line against Luis Ortiz in a rematch he dare not lose.
A date is already set for The Bronze Bomber’s second clash with Tyson Fury with the two scheduled to meet on 22 February in a rematch of last year’s thrilling draw in Los Angeles.
Wilder announced in May he planned to deal with all of his ‘controversial’ fights – that would also include Ortiz, who pushed the American all the way in their March 2018 bout in New York.
For the first time in his career, Wilder was rocked in the boxing ring as Ortiz went blow-for-blow with him, leaving him hanging on for dear life as the heavy-handed Cuban came within seconds of ending his reign as WBC king before he was saved by the bell.
Wilder fought back and ended the contest with another devastating finish in the 10th round.
Ortiz has bounced back with three consecutive wins since that night. Since drawing with Fury, Wilder has added another stunning KO this his highlight reel – blasting Dominic Breazeale within one round in May.
With much of the groundwork already laid for his rematch with Fury, Wilder will be determined to put on a show.
Date, UK start time and venue
Wilder Vs Ortiz 2 takes place at the MGM Grand, Las Vegas tonight.
Given the location, it will be an early start on Sunday morning for UK fight fans with ringwalks expected no earlier than 4am on 24 November.
Will there be a live stream? How can I watch it?
The match will be shown live on Sky Sports Action, and is available via Now TV with a day pass on offer for £8.99.
Sky Sports subscribers can stream the match online via SkyGo and the SkyGo app.
Betting tips via Betfair Exchange | UK users only | Subject to change
- Wilder to win: 1/6
- Ortiz to win: 9/2
- Draw: 33/1
Prediction
Ortiz gave Wilder the toughest test of his career in their first meeting - until Tyson Fury came along and pushed him even further nine months later.
The Cuban is on a three-fight winning streak having knocked out Razvan Cojanu and Travis Kauffman before gets a points decision win over Christian Hammer earlier this year.
But at 40, Ortiz is older, getting slower with his reflexes fading.
Wilder to win via knockout in the middle rounds.
Undercard
- Brandon Figueroa vs Julio Ceja
- Luis Nery vs Emmanuel Rodriguez
- Leo Santa Cruz vs Miguel Flores
