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LAS VEGAS – Deontay Wilder was expected to be a little heavier in the rematch than he was in his first fight with Luis Ortiz, Ortiz a little lighter. And that’s how it played out.
Wilder on Friday weighed 219½ pounds, almost five pounds more than he weighed when they fought in Mach of last year. Ortiz, who reportedly trained like a mad man, weighed 236½. That’s almost five less than he weighed in the first fight.
They meet again Saturday at the MGM Grand on Fox Pay-Per-View.
Wilder, who stopped Ortiz in 10 rounds the first time around, doesn’t think the weight will make much of a difference.
“He knows what happened the first time. He knows what will happen the second time,” Wilder said on the stage moments after weighing in.
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Wilder weighed 223 for his last fight, a first-round knockout of Dominic Breazeale in May. Ortiz weighed 238¾ against Christian Hammer in March, when Ortiz won by a wide decision.
In other fights, Leo Santa Cruz and Miguel Flores weighed 129½ and the limit of 130, respectively, for their junior lightweight title fight. Santa Cruz is attempting to win a title in a fourth division.
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In a scheduled junior featherweight bout, Julio Ceja weighed 126½, way over the 122-pound limit. His opponent, Brandon Figueroa, weighed 122. It wasn’t clear how officials intended to proceed.
And, in a bantamweight title eliminator, Luis Nery weighed 119, a pound over the limit. He had a few hours to lose the extra weight. His opponent, Emmanuel Rodriguez, weighed 118.
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