Victor Ortiz's jaw broken in upset loss

SI Staff | Jun 24, 2012

Victor Ortiz's jaw broken in upset loss /

Victor Ortiz's jaw broken in upset loss

Unheralded junior welterweight Josesito Lopez scored the upset of the year to date Saturday when he broke Victor Ortiz's jaw en route to a technical knockout victory at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Lopez, a late replacement for Andre Berto, landed a powerful left hook near the end of the ninth round that appeared to break Ortiz's jaw. Ortiz was unable to answer the bell for the 10th.

Actor Jack Nicholson and music mogul Lou Adler were among those at ringside for the fight.

Ortiz, who lost in ignominious fashion to Floyd Mayweather in his previous fight, fell to 1-1-2 in his last four outings.

Ortiz led on all three judges' cards by scores of 88-83, 87-84 and 86-85. But Lopez held a slight edge in power shots, landing 110 of 203 (36 percent), compared to 99 of 221 (45 percent) for Ortiz.

Lopez had been considered a stepping stone for Ortiz, who was slated to face nascent Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez in a high-profile pay-per-view showdown on Sept. 15 at the MGM Grand.

Ortiz reacts in his corner during the ninth round after having his jaw broken by Lopez.

Ortiz' corner applies ice to his jaw after the ninth. They implored him to continue, but Ortiz told referee Jack Reiss that he'd be unable to keep going.

Ortiz was shown spitting up blood in his corner and locker room after the fight. "I knew [Lopez] was good, I knew he was good," he said.

"Yes, Josesito busted my jaw," Ortiz said afterward. "But it's OK. I'll be fine. My coaches wanted me to keep going, but I couldn't close my mouth."

Published Jun 24, 2012

SI STAFF