Vergil Ortiz Jr. has firmly denied reports that he's finalizing a bout with Erickson Lubin, while revealing he's made an offer to current WBO 154-pound champion Xander Zayas. The undefeated boxer cleared the air about his next potential opponent amid swirling rumors in the boxing community.
"There's no deal being finalized between me and Lubin for October 18," Ortiz Jr. clarified through DAZN, contradicting widespread speculation about a match set for next year.
Instead, the 23-0 fighter with 21 knockouts disclosed that his team has submitted an official offer to Xander Zayas, the current WBO super welterweight champion, with a response deadline of 5:00 p.m. on Friday, August 15, 2025.
Zayas, who captured the vacant WBO title on July 26 by defeating Jorge Garcia Perez, didn't seem impressed by the proposal. The Puerto Rican champion fired back, calling it not a "real offer" while indicating he would consider facing Ortiz Jr. – but only if the fight happened in Puerto Rico.
Interestingly, boxing insiders question whether Zayas' promoters at Top Rank would even allow their fighter to face a pressure boxer like Ortiz Jr., who represents a significant step up in competition compared to Zayas' previous opponents.
Meanwhile, rumors suggest Zayas isn't waiting around for Ortiz Jr.'s next move. The champion is reportedly planning his first title defense against welterweight Giovani Santillan in December 2025, with the bout expected to take place in Puerto Rico.
With both fighters publicly positioning themselves, who will blink first in these high-stakes negotiations?
