Report: Vergil Ortiz Jr., 'Boots' Ennis agree to Feb. 22 bout

Vergil Ortiz Jr. and Jaron "Boots" Ennis have verbally agreed to a fight that's expected to take place Feb. 22 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, a source told BoxingScene's Lance Pugmire.

Ortiz will defend the WBC interim junior middleweight title against Ennis, the IBF welterweight champion who is moving up to 154 pounds for the matchup.

Ortiz is coming off a majority decision win over Serhii Bohachuk in which he captured the interim title in August. He overcame two knockdowns to win on the scorecards. That was the first time the undefeated 26-year-old went the distance in his 22-bout career.

Ortiz, of Grand Prairie, Texas, stayed busy in 2024, also scoring knockouts of Thomas Dulorme and Fredrick Lawson.

Ennis defeated Karen Chukhadzhian by unanimous decision in a rematch earlier this month in his hometown of Philadelphia to record his second IBF 147-pound title defense. The 27-year-old was promoted to full champion in 2023 after Terence Crawford left the division. Ennis is 33-0 as a professional with 27 knockouts.

The Feb. 22 event could be one of the biggest in recent memory. It's rumored to also feature a rematch between undisputed light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev and former WBA champ Dmitry Bivol, as well as a heavyweight title bout between IBF champion Daniel Dubois and WBO interim titleholder Joseph Parker.