Undefeated slugger Vergil Ortiz is a massive betting favorite in his welterweight bout with Michael McKinson that’s set to take place on August 6 in Fort Worth, TX. You typically don’t see a fighter favored as heavily as Ortiz in a matchup against another unbeaten boxer, but Ortiz is one of the hottest items in the sport today finishing all 18 of his opponents.
McKinson hasn’t reached the level of opponent like Ortiz, which is why he’s a huge underdog on the card, but he’s a confident fighter with a quirky southpaw style that can give opponents problems. The two were schedule to fight in March but the bout was postponed when Ortiz backed out due to an illness. Recovered now, he’s ready to dish out some more punishment.
Vergil Ortiz vs. Michael McKinson Odds
Vergil Ortiz -1650
Michael McKinson +792
The 12-round welterweight fight between Vergil Ortiz (18-0, 18 KOs) and Michael McKinson (22-0, 2 KOs) will be held at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, TX on Saturday, August 6, 2022. This is the main event on a five-fight ticket. The action begins at 8 p.m. ET and can be seen on DAZN.
Vergil Ortiz vs. Michael McKinson Fight Preview
While McKinson has the same number of defeats inside the ring and four more victories, he’s a huge underdog on the betting line. The level of opposition goes up exponentially for him with Ortiz setting himself up for a run at the welterweight title. Ortiz is the No. 1 ranked welterweight contender in the WBA and WBO and is among the top three in the other two sanctioning bodies.
Ortiz has steadily risen up the ranks with impressive displays of power and stamina. A step up in competition didn’t faze the Texan with an impressive third-round KO of Mauricio Herrera in May 2019. Dueling Antonio Orozco for the vacant WBA Gold welterweight belt a few months later, Ortiz scored a sixth-round TKO and successfully defended with a fifth-round KO of Brad Solomon in his next fight.
His last three fights have seen Ortiz reach another level in his boxing journey. He sent former WBA-NABA welterweight champ Samuel Vargas into a tailspin with a seventh-round TKO and he pummeled Maurice Hooker 17 months ago to win the vacant WBO International welterweight belt. For the first time in his professional career Ortiz went beyond seven rounds defending his title last time out with an eighth-round TKO of Egidijus Kavaliauskas. While the Lithuanian lasted longer than any of Ortiz’s opponents, the outcome was never in doubt. Ortiz sent Kavaliauskas to the mat five times before the fight was stopped.
There is no value making a moneyline bet on the favorite so you might as well drop a few bucks on McKinson and hope for the best. After all it isn’t that much of a risk considering the payday that awaits in the event of an upset. And if the odds scare you off you can throw down on the fight going the distance, since that’s what McKinson does best.
You have to be good to win all your fights and the number of bouts tells us he’s experienced inside the ring. He’s gone the distance in all but two of his 22 pro fights with the last eight 10-round unanimous decisions giving him one of the lowest KO percentages in the sport. American boxing fans probably don’t know a lot about McKinson since all his fights prior to the last one took place overseas. He made an impressive debut in the States, though, outpointing Alex Martin in a one-sided decision back in March.
Vergil Ortiz vs. Michael McKinson Prediction
Never say never, but the likelihood of McKinson upsetting Ortiz is slim. I guess that’s why the odds are positioned where they are. Ortiz is like the poster boy for the sport with his combative style and ability to throw haymakers a big draw, but he’s more than just a knockout artist.
He sizes up his opponents finding weaknesses in the early rounds before pouncing like a cobra later in the match. The result is that fighters never know when it’s coming and it’s too late when they find out. There are a few things that stick out to me, though. First, McKinson’s southpaw style can be tricky. And second, he’s being devalued for his perceived lack of competition. The Brit is used to going the distance rarely allowing opponents the chance to land big blows.
And he’ll have to be on top of his game to do that against Ortiz. McKinson isn’t backing down with a level of confidence rarely seen by such a huge underdog, but it’s all talk. In the end Ortiz is the more polished fighter and will win, but it’ll take longer than most of his fights.
Boxing Pick: Vergil Ortiz / Unanimous Decision
