Vasiliy Lomachenko is reportedly looking to return to the sport of boxing this fall. After taking a break from the sport as his home nation of Ukraine was invaded by Russian forces, Lomachenko is back in the U.S. Mike Coppinger of ESPN has revealed that the Ukrainian boxer will fight Jamaine Ortiz in late October. The fight will be aired on ESPN, but it’s unclear where the event will be held.
“I’ve prepared for this moment, and I need this chance,” he said upon his return to the U.S., according to Boxing Scene.
“I need this fight… undisputed. Undisputed world champion.”
Vasiliy Lomachenko enters the 19th pro victory with a record of 16-2 with 11 knockouts. The lightweight veteran lost his undisputed title to Teófimo Lopez in October 2020. Since then, he has earned a TKO win against Masayoshi Nakatani and a unanimous decision victory against Richard Commey.
Lomachenko’s opponent, Jamaine Ortiz, comes into the potential October bout with an undefeated record of 16-0-1 with eight knockouts. In April 2021, Ortiz was knocked down twice against Joseph Adorno before earning a draw. Since then, he’s beaten Nahir Albright and Jamel Herring.
The winner of the late October bout could be in play for a potential title shot against Devin Haney. Gervonta Davis and Ryan Garcia also remain major attractions in the lightweight division with Shakur Stevenson potentially looking to move up to the 135-pound division.
