One of boxing's youngest stars gets his stiffest test to date as Vergil Ortiz Jr. battles former WBO junior welterweight champion Maurice Hooker on Saturday from the Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, live on DAZN in over 200 countries worldwide.
Ortiz-Hooker is the rare fight that both competitors will be competing in their hometowns. Ortiz and Hooker, who both reside in Dallas, live approximately 32 miles from the venue. Both guys relish the opportunity to fight in front of their hometown fans and put on an exciting contest.
Ortiz (16-0, 16 KOs) looks to secure his most significant win to date after plowing through his competition up to this point. In his only bout in 2020, Ortiz beat Samuel Vargas via seventh-round TKO at the end of July.
"I'm very happy to be fighting in front of my friends, family, and fans back at home again," Ortiz said in a press release. "Dickies Arena is a perfect sized venue, and it looks like it will be able to hold a substantial number of fans, so everybody needs to come out and support all the fighters. I'm really hyped for this fight.”
Meanwhile, Hooker (27-1-3) returns from a 15-month layoff. The former WBO junior welterweight champion last fought in December 2019, stopping Uriel Perez via first-round TKO at a catchweight bout of 144 pounds.
"I'm excited to be fighting so close to home where my family, friends, and hometown fans can come out and support my return to the ring," Hooker said. With Vergil and I both being from the Dallas area, this is a fight that had to happen in the DFW Metroplex. We are going to put on one hell of a show for all of our hometown fans on March 20 at Dickies Arena."
A win for Ortiz proves he's the real deal and on his way to a championship opportunity. For Hooker, he gets the chance to prove that he should have been competing at 147 pounds for a long time instead of draining himself to make 140.
Here is everything you need to know about Vergil Ortiz Jr. vs. Maurice Hooker.
Vergil Ortiz Jr. vs. Maurice Hooker fight date, start time
- Date: Saturday, March 20
- Coverage: 9 p.m. ET
- Ortiz vs. Hooker Main event (approx): 11:00 p.m. ET
The Vergil Ortiz Jr. vs. Maurice Hooker fight card takes place on Saturday, March 20 at 9 p.m. ET. Ortiz and Hooker are expected to make their way to the ring at around 11 p.m. ET, although that depends on how long the earlier fights take.
Ortiz vs. Hooker TV channel, live stream
- TV / Stream : DAZN
Ortiz vs. Hooker can be seen on DAZN worldwide in over 200 countries and territories. If you aren't subscribed to DAZN, you can sign up here. If you are in Argentina, Chile and Colombia you must download from the Apple App Store or Android Google Play store.
Where is the Ortiz vs. Hooker fight?
The event will be staged at the Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. The venue will be fully compliant with the latest COVID-19 pandemic guidelines. It will be the first time Ortiz and Hooker compete at the venue.
Ortiz vs. Hooker odds
(Odds provided by BetMGM)
Vergil Ortiz Jr: -1000
Draw: +2500
Maurice Hooker: +600
Vergil Ortiz Jr. record and bio
- Nationality: American
- Born: March 25, 1998
- Height: 5-10
- Reach: 72 inches
- Total fights: 16
- Record: 16-0 with 16 knockouts
Maurice Hooker record and bio
- Nationality: American
- Born: August 7, 1989
- Height: 5-11
- Reach: 80 inches
- Total fights: 31
- Record: 27-1-3 with 18 knockouts
Vergil Ortiz vs. Maurice Hooker fight card
- Vergil Ortiz Jr. vs. Maurice Hooker; Welterweight
- Anabel Ortiz vs. Seniesa Estrada for Ortiz’s WBA Women’s Strawweight title
- Luis Hernandez vs. Alex Martin; Junior Welterweight
- George Rincon vs. Luis Solis; Junior Welterweight
- Hector Valdez vs. Alberto Torres; Junior Featherweight
- Tristan Kalkreuth vs. Dustin Long; Cruiserweight