Deontay Wilder and Luis Ortiz predict knockouts in their rematch

WBC heavyweight titleholder Deontay Wilder will put his green strap on the line this weekend against Luis Ortiz, in a rematch of their early 2018 fight. And with training camp just about wrapped up for both fighters, both are feeling confident about their chances on Saturday night.

Wilder starts by telling ESPN that this fight surely won’t make it to the final bell, and reiterates that Ortiz will need to be perfect in order to walk a tightrope for the duration of the fight, while he only needs to get it right for a couple of seconds.

“He has to be perfect for 12 rounds. I only have to be perfect for two seconds and -- bam, baby, good night!”

“My job is to go in and make an exciting fight and get a dramatic knockout. And that’s what I’ve been doing all my career and that’s what I plan to continue to do to the end of my career.”

Ortiz also said that he doesn’t expect the fight to last the distance, and that one way or another either Wilder or himself will be going down for the count.

“This is not going 12 rounds,” Ortiz said through an interpreter. “Either he knocks me out or I knock him out, and I wish there was no bell between rounds so we could just keep going.”

As of this moment Wilder remains a solid favorite to repeat his win over an aging Ortiz, but Ortiz insists he’s ready to shock the world. We’ll just have to see if the Cuban heavyweight can both physically and mentally keep it all together once the opening bell rings.