Vergil Ortiz Jr and Maurice Hooker are now officially set for a March 20 fight on DAZN, with the two Dallas natives meeting in their hometown, with Seniesa Estrada to challenge for a 105-pound title on the undercard, plus the U.S. debut of Russian heavyweight Arslanbek Makhmudov.
Ortiz-Hooker will stream live on DAZN. The prior rumored date was March 27, but that has been bumped a week.
Ortiz (16-0, 16 KO) is a top welterweight prospect and emerging star for Golden Boy Promotions, and at 22 has already passed some solid veteran tests in the forms of Mauricio Herrera, Antonio Orozco, Brad Solomon, and Samuel Vargas, and passed them with flying colors.
The 31-year-old Hooker (27-1-3, 18 KO) will be making a move up to 147 pounds for this one, having won the WBO title at 140 in 2018 by beating Terry Flanagan on the road in Manchester, England. After two successful defenses, he lost the belt in a unification with WBC titlist Jose Ramirez in 2019, a fantastic firefight in Texas.
“First and foremost, I’m really grateful to be fighting back at home again,” said Ortiz. “Not only that, but I’ll be fighting another Dallas native in Maurice Hooker. I’ve known Hooker since back in the amateur days. I know we’re going to give the fans back at home a fight to remember.”
“I’ve never been one to shy away from a fight,” said Hooker. “The decision to fight Ortiz was an easy one as it allows me to prove to the world something that I already know—that I’m one of the best welterweights in the world. I have a new team around me who has taken my game to a whole new level, and I feel amazing at this weight class. I can’t wait to put on a show for all the fans on March 20. Dallas, get ready!”
Makhmudov (11-0, 11 KO) is a 31-year-old Russian based in Montreal. He bashed past Canadian veteran Dillon Carman in Oct. 2020 in just 27 seconds, and has fought all of his pro bouts in Canada. He doesn’t have an opponent yet, but he’s going to be in a fight scheduled for 10 rounds.
Anabel Ortiz (31-3, 4 KO) will defend her WBA minimumweight title against Estrada (19-0, 8 KO). The 28-year-old Estrada has bounced from 105 to 112 in her career, and won an interim flyweight title in 2019, beating rival Marlen Esparza by technical decision. She was last seen in July 2020, where she ran over Miranda Adkins in a shameful disaster that shouldn’t have happened.
The 34-year-old Ortiz is in a 21-fight win streak that dates back to 2012, when she lost to Argentine standout Yesica Yolanda Bopp. Mexico’s Ortiz won the WBA 105-pound belt in 2013 from Etsuko Tada in Japan, and has made 12 successful defenses of the belt.
The rest of the undercard as stands right now:
- Luis Hernandez vs Alex Martin, junior welterweights, 10 rounds
- George Rincon vs TBA, junior welterweights, 8 rounds
- Hector Valdez vs Alberto Torres, junior featherweights, 8 rounds
- Oscar Acevedo vs James Wilkins, junior lightweights, 8 rounds