Vergil Ortiz Jr. to Face Thurman on Benavidez Card

Vergil Ortiz Jr. will face Thurman on the December undercard of David Benavidez’s unification bout with Michal Cieslak, ending a year of inactivity for the unbeaten 154-pound contender.

Ortiz returns after Golden Boy settlement

Ortiz has not fought since scoring a second-round knockout of Erikson Lublin last November. A contractual dispute with Golden Boy Promotions kept him out of the ring for much of this year and derailed a planned fight with Jaron “Boots” Ennis.

Ortiz and Golden Boy settled their dispute in July, allowing them to resume working together. His matchup with the veteran Thurman now gives Ortiz a chance to return before the year ends and rebuild momentum toward a world-title opportunity.

Thurman joins Benavidez-Cieslak undercard

Thurman, 37, brings name recognition to the card but also has questions to answer after his own period out of action. He was stopped by Sebastian Fundora in March.

A strong performance against Thurman would give Ortiz a step toward his title ambitions after the layoff. A potential fight with Ennis is still a target, although Ennis is scheduled to meet Josh Kelly in a unification bout at the beginning of 2027.

Ortiz’s return against Thurman is set for the December undercard of Benavidez’s unification bout with Cieslak. The source gives no specific date for the card.