Keith Thurman is set for a big fight when he returns to the ring.
The former unified welterweight world champion was viewed as one of the best fighters around at 147lbs for a number of years, claiming victories over fighters such as Shawn Porter and Danny Garcia.
He suffered the first defeat of his professional career when he was beaten by split decision against Manny Pacquiao in July 2019, which began a period of inactivity for Thurman.
After nearly three years out of the ring, he returned with a unanimous decision win over Mario Barrios in February 2022, before another three-year absence then began. He finally came back in March to face Brock Jarvis in his first contest at 154lbs.
It was a dominant performance from Thurman, claiming a third round knockout win over Jarvis, and he’s made it clear he wants to remain active after that victory.
He may have got his wish, after ESPN’s Julius Julianis reported on social media that Thurman is set for a clash against hard-hitting knockout artist Vergil Ortiz Jr.
“Attention! I hear Vergil Ortiz Jr. vs. Keith Thurnan and Arnold Barboza Jr. vs. Frank Martin are being scheduled for October. It will be a GBP vs. PBC event.”
Vergil Ortiz has an unbeaten 23-0 record, with an impressive 21 of those victories coming by knockout. He was last in action in February, claiming a unanimous decision win over former world champion Israil Madrimov.
Ortiz has also been linked with a fight against former unified welterweight world champion Jaron Ennis, with a win against Thurman potentially leading to that bout in 2026.
