Victor Ortiz facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Victor Ortiz
Ortiz in 2011
Statistics
Nickname(s)	Vicious
Rated at	Light welterweight Welterweight Light middleweight
Height	5 ft 9 in
Reach	70 in
Born	(1987-01-31) January 31, 1987 (age 38) Garden City, Kansas, U.S.
Stance	Southpaw
Boxing record
Total fights	43
Wins	33
Wins by KO	25
Losses	7
Draws	3

Victor Ortiz (born January 31, 1987) is an American professional boxer and actor. He was a WBC welterweight champion in 2011. Many sports and boxing websites ranked him among the top welterweights. His exciting and strong fighting style earned him the 2008 ESPN Prospect of the Year award.

Outside of boxing, Ortiz has acted in movies like The Expendables 3 (2014) and Southpaw (2015). He also appeared in the TV series Ray Donovan.

Victor Ortiz's Early Life

Victor Ortiz was born and grew up in Garden City, Kansas. He is the third of four children. His parents were from Mexico. When Victor was seven, his mother left the family. This was a very hard time for him.

Five years later, his father also left the family. This meant Victor and his five siblings had to enter the foster care system in Kansas. Victor was twelve years old at this time. In 2002, his older sister became an adult. She moved to Denver, Colorado. Victor and his younger brother went to live with her.

Victor Ortiz's Amateur Boxing Career

While training at a Salvation Army Red Shield Community Center, Victor was noticed by Ron Lyle. Lyle was a former heavyweight boxer. In 2003, Lyle helped Ortiz enter a Junior Olympics tournament. Victor was sixteen and won the 132-pound weight division. He had a perfect 5–0 record.

Another former boxer, Roberto Garcia, then noticed him. Garcia had been an IBF Super Featherweight Champion. One of Ortiz's early amateur fights was against Amir Khan. Ortiz lost that fight in the second round.

Moving to California for Training

Roberto Garcia offered to train Ortiz in Oxnard, California. Victor accepted and moved from Colorado to California. He started training at La Colonia Youth Boxing Club. Garcia later became Ortiz's legal guardian. Victor graduated from Pacifica High School.

At age 16, Ortiz won the 2003 Police Athletic League national championships. At seventeen, he reached the United States Olympic boxing trials. He was in the 132-pound weight class. He was eliminated in the semifinals.

Ortiz became a professional boxer in 2004, when he was still seventeen. When he turned eighteen in 2005, he became the legal guardian of his younger brother. His brother is now a college student. Ortiz still lives in Ventura, California.

Victor Ortiz also trained at The Garden City Boxing club. He had five trainers there who worked together. His first trainers included Ignacio "Buck" Avilia and Manuel Rios. He won the Ringside National Title in 2001 and 2002. He also won the National Jr. Olympics in 2002.

Victor Ortiz's Professional Boxing Career

Early Light Welterweight Fights

Victor Ortiz at a media workout in Los Angeles in 2009

After becoming a professional, Ortiz won his first seven fights easily. However, on June 3, 2005, he was disqualified in a fight against Corey Alarcon. Ortiz had knocked Alarcon down twice. The referee said Ortiz's last punch was illegal.

After this, Ortiz kept winning. By August 2007, his record was 18–1–1. He then fought his first well-known opponent, Emmanuel Clottey. Ortiz won by technical knockout in the tenth round. Three months later, he knocked out Carlos Maussa in the first round.

On September 13, 2008, Ortiz fought Roberto David Arrieta. Ortiz knocked Arrieta down three times. He won by technical knockout in the fifth round. At the end of 2008, ESPN named Ortiz the boxing prospect of the year.

On March 7, 2009, Ortiz fought Mike Arnaoutis on HBO Boxing After Dark. Arnaoutis had never been knocked out before. But Ortiz won by technical knockout in the second round.

Ortiz vs. Maidana Fight

On June 27, 2009, Ortiz fought Marcos Rene Maidana for the Interim WBA Light Welterweight title. Ortiz had won his last eight fights by knockout. Maidana was also a strong puncher.

Both Ortiz and Maidana were knocked down in the first round. Ortiz knocked Maidana down twice in the second round. Ortiz got a cut in the fifth round. He was knocked down in the sixth round. The fight was stopped because the ringside doctor would not let Ortiz continue.

Victor Ortiz's Comeback Fights

After the Maidana fight, Ortiz changed trainers. He recovered from a broken wrist. On December 12, 2009, Ortiz returned to the ring. He stopped Antonio Díaz when Díaz did not come out for the seventh round. Ortiz then fought Hector Alatorre on February 25, 2010. He won by TKO in the tenth round.

Ortiz's Wins Against Campbell and Harris

Ortiz won a unanimous decision against Nate Campbell on May 15, 2010. This fight was at Madison Square Garden. Ortiz was quicker and landed more powerful punches. Campbell seemed to struggle with Ortiz's fighting style. Ortiz scored one knockdown in the fight.

On September 18, 2010, Victor faced former WBA Light Welterweight Champion Vivian Harris. Ortiz landed many strong punches. He knocked Harris down three times in the second round. Ortiz won by knockout with 45 seconds left in the third round.

Ortiz vs. Peterson Draw

Ortiz fought Lamont Peterson on December 11, 2010. This fight was in Las Vegas. Peterson was knocked down twice in the first round. One judge scored the fight for Peterson. The other two judges scored it a draw. The fight officially ended as a draw. Many people who watched felt Ortiz clearly won the fight.

Moving to Welterweight Division

Ortiz vs. Berto I: A Thrilling Fight

Ortiz fought Andre Berto for the WBC Welterweight title on April 16, 2011. This fight was called an early pick for "fight of the year." Ortiz won the fight by unanimous decision. Both boxers started aggressively. Ortiz knocked Berto down in the first round.

Both fighters were knocked down twice in the fight. Berto took a lot of punches against the ropes. He looked tired after the sixth round. Ortiz controlled the fight from the seventh round on. The judges scored the match for Ortiz. He became the new WBC Welterweight Champion. The Ring magazine named this the "Fight of the Year" for 2011.

A rematch with Berto was planned for June 30, 2012. But Berto failed a drug test. So, the rematch was canceled. Josesito López was chosen to fight Ortiz instead. They did have a rematch later in 2016.

Ortiz vs. Mayweather: A Controversial Ending

On June 7, 2011, Floyd Mayweather Jr. announced he would fight Ortiz. The fight was for Ortiz's WBC Welterweight belt. It took place on September 17, 2011.

Mayweather seemed to control the first three rounds. In the fourth round, Ortiz landed some good shots. Then, Ortiz pushed Mayweather into a corner and intentionally headbutted him. The referee, Joe Cortez, stopped the fight and took a point from Ortiz.

When the fight restarted, Ortiz tried to apologize to Mayweather. He even hugged him. While Ortiz had his hands down, Mayweather quickly threw a left hook and a right hand. Ortiz fell and could not get up. The crowd was very upset. Mayweather said, "In the ring, you have to protect yourself at all times."

Ortiz vs. López: A Broken Jaw

After his fight with Andre Berto was canceled, Ortiz fought Josesito López. This fight took place on June 23, 2012. Many expected an easy win for Ortiz. However, it was an exciting fight with both boxers exchanging punches.

At the start of the tenth round, Ortiz's team stopped the fight. Ortiz said he had a broken jaw. He could not close his mouth. This injury canceled his planned fight with Saúl Álvarez.

Ortiz's Later Fights

On January 30, 2014, Ortiz lost to Luis Collazo. Collazo landed a strong right hook in the second round. The match ended after a ten count. Ortiz's promoter, Oscar De La Hoya, suggested Ortiz should retire.

Despite this, Ortiz fought Manuel Pérez on December 13, 2014. Ortiz won by TKO in the third round. He suffered a hand injury in this fight that needed surgery. He returned to the ring in December 2015. He won against Gilberto Sanchez Leon by TKO in the eighth round.

Ortiz vs. Berto II: The Rematch

Five years after their first fight, Ortiz and Andre Berto had a rematch on April 30, 2016. Ortiz was knocked down once in the second round. Berto came back strong in the fourth round. Ortiz was knocked down twice in the fourth round. The referee stopped the fight after 1 minute and 44 seconds. Berto said he would fight Ortiz a third time if Ortiz wanted to.

Ortiz vs. Corral: A Comeback Win

On July 30, 2017, Ortiz fought Saul Corral. Ortiz won by stoppage in the fourth round. Ortiz landed many strong left hands and hooks. In the fourth round, Ortiz knocked Corral down. The referee stopped the fight after 1 minute and 26 seconds. Ortiz said he was ready for any fighter in the welterweight division.

Ortiz vs. Alexander: A Draw

On February 17, 2018, Ortiz fought Devon Alexander. The fight ended in a 12-round majority draw. One judge scored it for Ortiz, and two judges scored it a draw. Many boxing experts thought Alexander did enough to win. Both fighters were open to a rematch.

Victor Ortiz's Boxing Record

Victor Ortiz on Television

Dancing with the Stars

Ortiz was a contestant on the sixteenth season of ABC's Dancing with the Stars. His dance partner was Lindsay Arnold. They were the fourth couple to be eliminated from the competition.

Victor Ortiz's Acting Career

Victor Ortiz started his acting career in the action movie The Expendables 3. He played a character named Mars. Mars was a young American soldier who joined the Expendables team.

Ortiz also appeared in the sports drama film Southpaw. He co-starred with Jake Gyllenhaal. In this movie, Ortiz played a young boxer named Ramone.

Films

Television Shows

Images for kids

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  Victor Ortiz in 2011

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  Victor Ortiz at a media workout in Los Angeles in 2009

See also

In Spanish: Victor Ortiz para niños