All signs point to Vergil Ortiz Jr. and Erickson Lubin battling it out in a barnburner when the highly touted junior middleweights meet November 8 at the Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.

Ortiz (23-0, 21 KOs) is confident the bout will deliver on its great expectations.

"It definitely has the recipe to be a Fight of the Year contender and a war. It has all of the ingredients with two fighters who love the fight," Ortiz told The Ring.

"Lubin gets down, and he loves to fight. He stands in the pocket and throws, and he boxes. It's going to be an action-packed chess match and a fun one for the fans."

The knockout artist Ortiz has been pleasing the boxing public, especially over his last two fights against Serhii Bohachuk in August 2024, and most recently in February, a dominant unanimous decision win against former 154-pound titleholder Israil Madrimov.

The two bouts also reached the final bell, something Ortiz never experienced during his first 21 fights prior. The Bohachuk bout marked the first time Ortiz had been knocked down, twice that night, though he still earned a majority decision win despite an uneven showing.

"I'm almost ashamed of my Bohachuk performance, and not because of the knockdowns," said Ortiz. "Because I wasn't hurt, and I didn't learn anything in that fight. I just fought, didn't use my head, just my hands. I'm gonna need to use my head in my next fights."

Despite the talent, high ceiling, and the backing from Golden Boy, the 27-year-old Ortiz has not yet got a shot at a true title throughout his nine-year career. Ortiz is The Ring’s No. 1-ranked fighter at 154 pounds and currently owns the WBC interim belt.

Lubin (27-2, 19 KOs), The Ring’s No. 5-rated contender at 154 pounds, is ready to wreck Ortiz’s planned pitting against Jaron Ennis, which has been building momentum to take place early next year.

Lubin passed up his position as the No. 1 mandatory challenger for IBF champion Bakhram Murtazaliev to pursue a more lucrative – and potentially career-shifting slugfest – against Ortiz in enemy territory.

"It's a good homecoming and a good fight against a good opponent," said Ortiz, who’s born and bred in Texas. "Lubin is one of the best fighters in the division, and I am happy to make a high-caliber fight like this."