A rising star at 25, Vergil Ortiz Jr. wants to step up his game. The 2019 Ring Magazine Prospect of the Year wants gold to face the elite at welterweight. His first step to achieving that is taking on Eimantas Stanionis on July 8.
Stanionis defends the WBA (regular) welterweight title against Ortiz. The fight is in the AT&T Center in San Antonio and will air live on DAZN.
It is the third time a bout between the two has been on the cards, as Ortiz was supposed to fight Stanionis in March but had to back out due to an appendectomy. Rebooked for April, Ortiz backed out this time after suffering from a recurring case of rhabdomyolysis. Ortiz recently told the Big Fight Weekend podcast he's at 100% and ready for a fresh start.
With wins against Maurice Hooker, Egidijus Kavaliauskas, and Michael McKinson, beating Stanionis could bring Ortiz closer to facing the winner of Errol Spence Jr. (the WBA champion) vs. Terence Crawford.
WATCH: Eimantas Stanionis vs Vergil Ortiz Jr., live on DAZN
Stanionis last fought in April 2022, beating Radzhab Butaev for the WBA (regular) belt. The +275 underdog (per Sports Interaction), the Lithuanian looks to make waves in the division by causing a major upset.
Outside the main event, the undercard features a top-tier women's title fight and a former world champion. Here's a breakdown of the entire Stanionis vs. Ortiz card.
Eimantas Stanionis vs. Vergil Ortiz Jr. undercard
Marlen Esparza vs. Gabriela Alaniz
- Division/Weight: Flyweight
- Esparza record: 13-1
- Alaniz record: 14-0
- Belts at stake: WBA, WBC, WBO, and Ring flyweight titles
One of the top title fights on the card will be Marlen Esparza vs. Gabriela Celeste Alaniz for the WBA, WBC, WBO, and Ring flyweight titles. The fight was supposed to happen in April but got nixed due to visa issues on the part of Alaniz.
A bronze medalist in the 2012 Olympics, Esparza (13-1) turned pro in 2017. Losing against Seniesa Estrada in 2019 for the interim WBA flyweight title, the 33-year-old has since won six in a row. She beat Ibeth Zamora Silva in 2021 for the WBC flyweight title and Naoko Fujioka in 2022 for the WBA title. Esparza last fought in August, beating Eva Guzman via unanimous decision.
A national champion for Argentina, Alaniz (14-0) turned pro in 2018. "La Chucky" beat Tamara Elisabet Demarco in June 2022 for the WBO flyweight belt and last fought in September, beating Debora Rengifo via TKO.
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Joseph Diaz vs. Jerry Perez
- Division/Weight: Lightweight
- Diaz record: 32-4-1
- Perez record: 14-2-1
- Belts at stake: N/A
Former world champion Joseph Diaz faces Jerry Perez. A 2011 U.S. National Champion, Diaz (32-4-1) turned pro in 2012. "Jo Jo" beat Hugo Partida in 2015 for the NABF featherweight title. He failed to capture the WBC featherweight title against Gary Russell Jr. in 2018 but won the WBA featherweight title that year against Jesus Rojas. In 2020, he beat Tevin Farmer for the IBF super featherweight title but was stripped of the belt when he missed weight.
Diaz later moved to the lightweight division, beating Javier Fortuna in 2021 for the interim WBC title. He lost against WBC lightweight champion Devin Haney that year and has since lost two more bouts, his last fight a split-decision defeat to Mercito Gesta in March.
Perez (14-2-1) turned pro in 2017. "The Joker" had his 13-fight win streak snapped in 2021 against Frank Martin. Since that loss, he is 1-1-1, his last bout a draw against Adrien Corona in April.
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Floyd Schofield vs. Haskell Rhodes
- Division/Weight: Lightweight
- Schofield record: 14-0
- Rhodes record: 28-4-1
- Belts at stake: N/A
Floyd Schofield faces Haskell Rhodes. Schofield (14-0) turned pro in 2020. The 20-year-old won the NABF junior super featherweight title in 2021 against Pedro Vicente Scharbaai. With 11 wins via knockout, Schofield beat Jesus Valentin Leon in April via the power punch.
Rhodes (28-4-1) turned pro in 2011. "Hackman" had his 24-fight unbeaten streak snapped in 2015 against Sergey Lipinets. Since that loss, he has gone 5-3 and is 2-2 in his past four fights. The 35-year-old last fought in March, beating Raymond Chacon via unanimous decision.
When is Eimantas Stanionis vs. Vergil Ortiz Jr.?
The Vergil Ortiz Jr. vs. Eimantas Stanionis card begins at 8 p.m. ET. Here's how that translates to different timezones globally:
| Region | Date | Main Card Start Time | Main Event Ring Walks (approx.) |
| USA and Canada (ET) | Saturday, July 8 | 8 p.m. ET | 11 p.m. ET |
| USA and Canada (PT) | Saturday, July 8 | 5 p.m. PT | 8 p.m. PT |
| UK and Ireland | Sunday, July 9 | 1 a.m. BST | 4 p.m. BST |
| Australia | Sunday, July 9 | 10 a.m. AEST | 1 p.m. AEST |
WATCH: Eimantas Stanionis vs Vergil Ortiz Jr., live on DAZN
How to watch Eimantas Stanionis vs. Vergil Ortiz Jr.
| Region | TV channel | Live streaming |
| USA | — | DAZN |
| Canada | — | DAZN |
| UK and Ireland | DAZN 1 HD | DAZN |
| Australia | — | DAZN |
The Eimantas Stanionis vs. Vergil Ortiz Jr. fight card will be available via DAZN.
Now available as a Sky channel, DAZN 1 HD is exclusive to Sky.
Eimantas Stanionis vs. Vergil Ortiz Jr. price: How much does the card cost?
- DAZN monthly subscription: $19.99 on a 12-month contract or $24.99 month-to-month in U.S. / $24.99 per month in Canada / £9.99 in the U.K. on a 12-month contract or £19.99 month-to-month / 13.99 AUD
- DAZN annual subscription: $224.99 in U.S., $199.99 in Canada, £99.99 in the U.K.