If there were any questions about Ortiz’s choice of opponent, there are none about the styles. Yes, many expected Virgil to go directly after belts and stars, but Lubin is a meaningful test. Erickson is a reactive fighter — he works off mistakes, intercepts, and shifts momentum in spurts. Ortiz, on the contrary, takes the center, applies pressure, forces reactions, and punishes openings.

Ortiz is three years younger (27), but his résumé carries heavier names: Bohachuk, Madrimov, Dulorme, Kavaliauskas, Hooker — all defeated, most of them stopped. Lubin has Fundora, Gausha, Ishe Smith (late stage), and Charlo on his record; he suffered stoppage losses to both Fundora and Charlo. That contrast in resume level may matter.

Ortiz throws more and dictates tempo. Lubin, however, is often the more precise puncher: even in the fight he eventually lost to Fundora, he landed 33% of his punches. Ortiz is more varied directionally and consistently invests in body work (≈28% of his landed punches), while Lubin’s body attack can drop to about 5%, depending on the matchup.

In 2025, both fought once: Ortiz outboxed Madrimov by decision (just the second time in his career he didn’t score a stoppage), while Lubin stopped Holmes in the 11th.

Lubin punches hard and unpredictably (70%+ KO rate), but Ortiz carries the heavier functional power — only Madrimov and Bohachuk went the distance with him. Ortiz has been visibly shaken by Bohachuk, and his defense can be hittable — a risk against a counterpuncher like Lubin. Lubin, in turn, is not granite either: two stoppage defeats, including a first-round KO loss to Charlo.

Although Ortiz has never been knocked out, there’s still no real confidence in his chin — Bohachuk found openings and rocked him twice. And he does get hit — which could become a problem against Lubin.

But Lubin himself isn’t iron-clad either: he’s been stopped twice, and Charlo ended their fight in the very first round.

This will be Ortiz’s third fight at Dickies Arena (previously scored stoppages over Hooker and McKinson). Lubin has not fought here before.

Lubin is openly confident and promises a finish. He rides a three-fight winning streak and even dropped Fundora in their bout. Ortiz, meanwhile, is looking to close certain narrative gaps — after a rough night against Bohachuk, he looked composed vs Madrimov but hasn’t had a knockout since 2024. As one of the division’s rising stars, he needs a statement performance — ideally dominant and decisive — to fuel discussions of major title fights.