Deontay Wilder (219.5) and Luis Ortiz (236.5) are expected to make their way to the ring at approximately 12:00 p.m. ET.
Round 1
Veteran referee Kenny Bayless is our referee for this, the main event for the World Boxing Council heavyweight title. The MGM Grand is loaded with fans, but not sold out. Wilder looks focused and confident while Ortiz surprisingly looks a little nervous. The bell sounds and here we go. They paw with their respective jabs as Ortiz slowly moves forward. Ortiz digs a left to the body and then has a follow-up volley of punches blocked. Ortiz dips inside and clips Wilder with a loopy left hook and it shakes Wilder briefly. Wilder misses a lethal right upstairs and narrowly avoids a counter left hook to the jaw. A short left hook on the inside from Wilder cuts Ortiz around his right temple, though it’s nothing threatening. It’s a slow opening round and Ortiz takes it based on a higher punch output. 10-9 Ortiz.
Round 2
Wilder with a few stiff jabs early. Wilder is letting his jab go frequently but his vaunted right hand remains cocked. Ortiz is looking to get inside behind his jab but Wilder is moving nicely. Ortiz is digging to the body whenever he gets close enough, but then again, Wilder is digging lefts to the gut as well. They continue to paw with their jabs with a minute left; not a ton of action yet. Ortiz lands a glancing left hook and then digs a combo to the head and body as the champ backs into the ropes. It’s a closer round this time around but Ortiz is slightly more effective with his punches. 10-9 Ortiz.
Round 3
Ortiz stalks the champ early with his jabs and lefts to the body. Wilder doesn’t look comfortable yet but it’s still early. Ortiz traps Wilder in a corner but the “Bronze Bomber” quickly escapes out to his left and regroups. Ortiz misses a loopy left hook but then digs a left to the gut. Wilder counters with a short left hook over the top. Wilder connects with a right late but Ortiz comes right back with a left and right to the body. Another slow-paced round but Ortiz landed the cleaner shots again. 10-9 Ortiz.
Round 4
Wilder with jabs but once he seems to find a rhythm, Ortiz backs him into a corner and tags him with a left. Ortiz with a few more shots to the head and Wilder screams, hitting himself in the face. “Bomber” moves to his left and misses a right, but Ortiz lands another left to the top of the head. Wilder has a powerful right hook blocked but then lands a jab. It’s yet another very slow round and it can go either way. Still, Ortiz landed the harder, cleaner shots, though they are few and far between. 10-9 Ortiz.
Round 5
Wilder is letting his jab go early, though Ortiz is blocking them nicely. Ortiz continues to slowly plod forward, but the champ is a bit more active thus far in this round. Wilder with a hard right-left to the head, but his power shots just miss by mere inches. Ortiz misses a wild, loopy left hook to the body but then he comes back with a jab to the face. Ortiz with a left to the body and then one to the head. Wilder blocks them both and then comes back with a left of his own. Ortiz with a jab at the bell. It’s a very close round, but Wilder landed the harder shots this time around. 10-9 Wilder.
Round 6
Ortiz misses a pair of lefts and then a right. Wilder cracks him with a jab and then backs off. Wilder misses a jab and is countered by an overhand left. They trade jabs at the midway point, but Wilder pops his off a few more times. Ortiz is moving forward still, tossing out the jab here and there. Wilder is just not letting his nasty right hand go at all. A right upstairs from the Cuban late; Wilder misses a pair of jabs. Another close round but Ortiz takes it. 10-9 Ortiz.
Round 7
After trading jabs, Wilder snaps Ortiz’s head back with a left hook. Ortiz is shaken briefly but then throws a right and left of his own. Wilder blocks them and then lands another short left hook. “Bronze Bomber” connects with a shirt left hook, followed by a right to the face. Ortiz shakes it off, but Wilder is heating up now. A right to the head and then one to the body for Wilder, who is finally letting his hands go. They trade punches in the center of the ring and both land. Ortiz with a left and Wilder backs off, but then he comes back with a right. A huge straight right on the button drops Ortiz as time expires and he is struggling to get up. Ortiz gets to his gloves and feet at the count of eight, but he can’t get back up. Referee Bayless counts him out because Ortiz simply is unable to stand back upright as the ref reaches the count of 10.
The Official Result
Deontay Wilder def. Luis Ortiz via KO at 2:51 of Round 7.