LAS VEGAS -- Jamaine Ortiz has been down this path before. He faced Teofimo Lopez in the finals of the 132-pound class in the 2015 national Golden Gloves tournament. That bout went Lopez's way, and Lopez is a massive favorite to win again when they meet on Thursday at Michelob Ultra Arena for Lopez's WBO super lightweight title.
Ortiz has been also down this path in regard to having fought one of the world's elite pound-for-pound boxers. In 2022, he lost a unanimous decision to Vasiliy Lomachenko, though he showed well in the fight. A one-sided win over Antonio Moran led him to the bout with Lopez on Thursday.
And while DraftKings has Lopez (19-1, 13 KOs) as a hefty -700 favorite, Ortiz (17-1-1, 8 KOs) isn't intimidated and is brimming with confidence. He said he thinks he's better than Lopez in several areas and is confident he's going to come out on top.
“I’m feeling great. I’m ready to put on a show and have some fun. That’s all I’m here to do, to have some fun. I’m excited to be crowned world champion. My time is coming. This Thursday, I will be crowned the new champ at 140. I’m bringing my heart. I’m bringing everything, my soul, my whole body. I’m willing to risk my life in the ring. He beat me before. I still have that in mind. So, I’m going to avenge that loss.”
Lopez's only loss was as a huge favorite over George Kambosos on Nov. 27, 2021, in New York. Lopez had air in his chest and was told by doctors after the fight he is lucky he didn't die during the match. He clearly shouldn't have fought, but didn't want to disappoint his fans who turned up and went on with the bout. He was off his usual game and Kambosos won a split decision. The only other truly close bout he had in his career was a split decision win over Sandor Martin as he was on the comeback trail after losing his title.
He routed one-time undisputed champion Josh Taylor in July to win this belt, but Ortiz is confident he has what it takes. He knows Lopez from first-hand knowledge and he's seen his development.
He believes he'll use his speed to foil Lopez and go on to victory.
"I can do a lot of things in the ring that people haven't seen yet," Ortiz said. "On [Thursday], people are going to see what I can do in there. When the opposition is better, I fight better, and I believe Teofimo Lopez is going to bring the best out of me. I'm going to show my skills and athleticism on fight night. I think I'm more athletic and have more speed than Teofimo. I have a better jab and movement. I have a lot of advantages that will show when we fight.
"I'm ready to be world champion. I didn't want any more tune-up fights. I demanded the big fights, and this is a big fight. I'm here to build a legacy in the sport, and this is a legacy fight."
Lopez is looking for legacy fights, too, against the likes of pound-for-pound No. 1 Terence "Bud" Crawford, the undisputed welterweight champion. Lopez, though, insists he won't be looking ahead. Despite all of the turmoil he's faced in his career, he's always been ready to fight.
Even against Kambosos, when he was at less than his best, he was able to come back late in the bout and make it close. So he's not concerned about Ortiz's words or his confidence.
“Talk is cheap," Lopez said of Ortiz. "He can say what he wants, but it’s a lot different when they feel these punches. I love guys like him who think they can take this. But I’m 'The Takeover.' I’m not one-dimensional. I’m universal. I’ve got plans from A to Z. I’ve been training since last August, so I’m ready.”
Ortiz clearly faces a big challenge. But he's shown against Lomachenko and in a win over former lightweight champion Jamel Herring that he's skilled and can compete at the highest level.
Having moved up, he doesn't have to suffer in the weight room, either.
"I feel great at 140 pounds," Ortiz said. "I don't need to sacrifice as much as I did when I fought at lightweight. I'm going to feel a lot better in the ring, and that is going to show in my performance on [Thursday]."