The landscape at 154 pounds is shifting rapidly, and while Ortiz is currently preparing to step up to the middleweight division for an upcoming high-stakes test against Keith Thurman on December 5, his tenure away from the super-welterweight limit may be brief. The hard-hitting contender has left the door wide open for a potential return to 154lbs following his battle with Thurman, fully aware that the division could crown its first-ever undisputed king as early as next year.
However, that historic unification hinges heavily on a sequence of events, starting with an expected blockbuster clash between Ennis and IBF world champion Josh Kelly. The pair are currently on a collision course for early 2027, setting the stage for what promises to be a defining encounter. For Ennis, the anticipated battle against Kelly represents his first assignment since his statement-making victory over Xander Zayas, a bout that saw him dethrone the rising star to capture both the WBO and WBA super-welterweight world titles.
That seventh-round stoppage not only cemented Ennis among the elite pound-for-pound fighters in the sport but also elevated the 29-year-old phenom to the status of a two-division unified champion. While Ennis charts his path toward further glory, the division’s other major power broker, Sebastian Fundora, continues to hold a firm grip on the prestigious WBC world strap. Fundora recently emerged victorious from a mandatory defence against Ermal Hadribeaj earlier this month, keeping his championship credentials intact.
Yet, despite keeping the belt around his waist, Fundora’s latest outing was far from a career-best performance. The man affectionately known as the “Towering Inferno” struggled for large stretches of the bout to consistently utilise his extraordinary 80-inch reach—a physical attribute that should serve as his greatest weapon against any opponent. Instead, he found himself dragged into a grueling affair before ultimately pulling off a dramatic, albeit controversial, 12th-round stoppage to seal the victory.
Analyzing those vulnerabilities during a recent interview with K.O. Artist Sports, Ortiz pointed out that such defensive lapses and tactical errors could prove exponentially more costly if repeated against a fighter of Ennis’ caliber. Widely regarded across the boxing landscape as a vastly superior and more complete operator than Hadribeaj, Ennis possesses the technical precision and ruthless finishing instincts to punish even the smallest mistakes in the ring.
Reflecting on the stylistic matchup between his two fierce rivals, Ortiz offered a measured assessment of how a potential undisputed showdown would materialize.
“I respect both as fighters. I think Fundora… he’s a problem to solve, for sure. [But] I think he showed a lot of holes [in his] last fight that Jaron Ennis should capitalise on — and I think that he [Ennis] will,” Ortiz told K.O. Artist Sports.
At the same time, Ortiz was quick to emphasize that dismissing Fundora’s unique attributes would be a grave error for anyone in the weight class, given the sheer physical complications the towering southpaw presents on fight night.
“Pero it could honestly go either way. Fundora’s a hard fight for anybody,” Ortiz added, acknowledging the chaotic and unpredictable nature that the champion brings to every contest.
Before any fantasy matchups or undisputed crowning ceremonies can take place, however, the logistical reality of the sport must play out. Ennis must first navigate his scheduled assignment against Josh Kelly in early 2027, overcoming a stern test against a skilled IBF champion. Beyond that immediate hurdle, bridging the gap between Ennis and Fundora will require a delicate element of compromise at the negotiating table, navigating promotional boundaries and sanctioning body mandates to finally unite the 154-pound division under a single undisputed banner.
