Oscar De La Hoya says Golden Boy Promotions is closing in on a resolution to its contract dispute with Vergil Ortiz Jr. (24-0, 22 KOs) and expects the unbeaten junior middleweight contender to fight before the end of the year.
Ortiz has been sidelined since November 2025, when he stopped Erickson Lubin in two rounds. A fight with Jaron Ennis fell apart after a disagreement with Golden Boy brought negotiations to a halt. Following a ruling by Judge Cristina D. Silva, Ortiz was barred from negotiating with third parties.
The dispute centers on whether Ortiz had the right to terminate his contract with Golden Boy. Judge Silva granted Golden Boy’s motion for a preliminary injunction and compelled the case to private arbitration. De La Hoya addressed the situation, saying he expects a positive resolution.
“We have the original contract that was in place. Outside people try to ruffle things up, but we have the contracts, we have the relationships, we have Vergil Ortiz. We’ve had him since he was a baby. We feel that we’re very close and Vergil Ortiz will fight this year,” De La Hoya