Welcome to the MGM Grand for tonight’s heavyweight title fight between Deontay Wilder and Luis Ortiz. The undefeated Wilder returns to action on the Las Vegas strip tonight for his 10th defense of the WBC championship that he’s owned for nearly five years. His opponent is the hard-hitting 40-year-old Ortiz in a rematch of their 2018 thriller, which saw Wilder survive his most difficult moments as a professional before roaring back with a 10th-round knockout.
Wilder is a 7-1 favorite to retain his belt and stay on course for a scheduled 23 Feburary rematch with Tyson Fury. But the American will need to tread carefully against Ortiz, who had him out on his feet in the seventh round when they first met but couldn’t close the show.
We’re midway through the final preliminary fight between Leo Santa Cruz and Miguel Flores – where Santa Cruz appears to be pitching a shutout – meaning the ring entrances for the main event should happen at the top of the hour.