Luis Ortiz isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. The fact he’s 41 years old is irrelevant, at least to him.
The Cuban defector has too many reasons to fight on. He wants to continue to bring attention to the plight of his daughter, Lismercedes, who suffers from a debilitating skin condition. He won’t give up on his dream to become a world champion. And, off course, he wants to make a good living for as long as he can.
Not even his disappointing losses to Deontay Wilder could convince him to give up.
Ortiz, who returns to the ring against Alexander Flores on Saturday, failed in two attempts to take down then-titleholder Wilder. In the first fight, the Cuban almost stopped Wilder in Round 7 only to get knocked out himself in Round 10. And in the second bout, a year ago, Ortiz was winning on the cards when Wilder ended matters with a single right hand in Round 7.
Ortiz could almost feel the championship belt around his waist in both of those fights only to let it slip away. The last thing he wants to do is walk away from the sport with that bad taste in his mouth.
“Those kind of fights can keep you up at night,” Ortiz said through his trainer, German Caicedo. “I have faith in myself, faith in God. You have to have a little bit of amnesia to move forward because, if not, you can dwell on that, obsess over that.
“It’s unfortunate but it’s not what controls me now.”
The first setback was easier for Ortiz (31-2, 26 KOs) and his camp to accept. The challenger’s training was limited, Caicedo said, because he was recovering from a hand injury. He wasn’t in ideal shape when he stepped through the ropes.
The circumstances in the second fight were different. Ortiz was fully prepared yet came up short. Caicedo said his fighter made a mental error that allowed Wilder to land the big right.
“We had a 12-week camp in the mountains outside Las Vegas,” Caicedo said. “That’s why [the second knockout] hurt so much for everyone involved. Luis does what he’s asked to do. He’s a thousand percent professional. You just don’t win all the fights.
“Luis started boxing at 10 years old [in Cuba]. He’s always had that pro style regimen. That’s what we’re calling on now.”
Ortiz says he’s ready for Flores and what might follow. He took around a month and half off after the second loss to Wilder and had short breaks as he navigated coronavirus restrictions in Miami. Otherwise, he’s been in the gym.
And he says he feels good. He dismisses comments about his age with the same refrain: “Anyone who is critical of my age should get into the ring with me and see what 41 feels like.”
What’s his secret? Caicedo compared him to Bernard Hopkins. Ortiz doesn’t drink or smoke or have other vices that might eat away at his body. There is also his motivation.
He’s like any other fighter: He wants to be a world champion. And as long as he feels he’s capable of realizing that goal, he said, he’s going to continue to try.
However, that’s secondary to his family. The money he earns allows him to support those he loves and, along with the platform he has, places him in an optimal position to fight his biggest fight: Finding a cure for epidermolysis bullosa, the painful condition that afflicts his 12-year-old daughter.
That’s why he defected to the United States about a decade ago.
“That fuels everything,” Ortiz said. “The reason I’m still driven is the platform I found in heavyweight boxing, at high levels, to be able to address my daughter and her illness. That’s why I work so hard, why I can do things now that I couldn’t do at 35. As long as I can bring light to this cause, that’s what I’m going to do.
“I’ll fight until I’m 60 if that’s what it takes to find a cure.”
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