Luis Ortiz vs Charles Martin agreed-to for January 1st in Florida

Mike Coppinger reports that after missing all of 2021, heavyweight contenders Luis Ortiz and Charles Martin have agreed to square off on January 1st at Hollywood, Florida’s Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. No word on which PBC-affiliated network will host the bout.

Ortiz (32-2, 27 KO) has spent all of 45 seconds in the ring these past two years, having annihilated Alexander Flores in a hilariously awful FOX main event last November. He’s been linked to a clash with Andy Ruiz Jr. on multiple occasions, but nothing ever came of them.

Martin (28-2-1, 25 KO) was last seen stopping Gerald Washington in February 2020 in an IBF eliminator, though his layoff is more self-inflicted. He reportedly turned down a final eliminator against Michael Hunter earlier this year, and while he’s still #2 in the rankings, it’s unclear whether a fight between him and #10 would earn him the coveted number one spot.

In any event, it’s a solid matchup. Ortiz has been roaming the Earth since the Paleolithic Age, so he should still be good to go despite the layoff, and Martin’s done fairly well for himself since Anthony Joshua ate him alive.