Vergil Ortiz Jr. Dominates Madrimov to Retain WBC Title
Vergil Ortiz Jr. kept his unbeaten record and the WBC interim super welterweight title with a unanimous decision over Israil Madrimov on February 22, 2025. The 12-round bout took place at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh on the undercard of Beterbiev–Bivol 2. Ortiz entered at 22-0 with 21 knockouts; Madrimov, a former world champion from Uzbekistan, had a 10-1-1 record. The judges scored it 117-111, 115-113 and 115-113 for Ortiz. The WBC confirmed the unanimous decision and title defense.
The bout was competitive, with both men finding success across the 12 rounds. Madrimov used his footwork and timing to make Ortiz work for entries, and he had success countering when Ortiz came forward. Ortiz kept applying pressure and had to adapt as the fight unfolded. The exchanges were physical, and both fighters finished the scheduled distance. Ortiz’s late work helped him separate on the scorecards, but Madrimov stayed dangerous through the final bell.
For Ortiz, the win was an important test against a former titleholder with a markedly different style from many of the punchers he had stopped earlier in his career. He had first won the interim WBC belt by beating Serhii Bohachuk in August 2024, then entered Riyadh looking to confirm his place among the leading contenders at 154 pounds. The Madrimov fight gave him 12 rounds of experience against an opponent who could disrupt his rhythm, and it extended Ortiz’s record to 23-0 with 21 knockouts.
Madrimov had won the WBA super welterweight title in 2024 before losing it to Terence Crawford in his first defense. He returned from that close decision loss to challenge Ortiz and showed why he remained a difficult opponent: he was measured, defensively aware and willing to trade when openings appeared. Though he did not regain a world title in Riyadh, the bout was a close, high-level contest between two top fighters, not a shutout or a stoppage.
Ortiz continued to add to his record after the Madrimov decision. He stopped Erickson Lubin in the second round in November 2025, bringing his professional mark to 24-0 with 22 knockouts. Golden Boy’s fighter profile lists the Lubin result and Ortiz’s current record. The Madrimov win remains the notable decision in a résumé otherwise built largely on stoppages, and it showed Ortiz could win a full championship-distance fight against an experienced former champion.
The bout also fit into a packed night of championship boxing in Riyadh, where several fighters used the undercard to make statements in different weight classes. Ortiz’s result kept the WBC interim belt with him and maintained his unbeaten position as a contender at junior middleweight. The event recap from the Guardian noted that the fighters showed the marks of a hard contest by the final bell.
Sources
Tags: Boxing, Combat Sports
