The junior middleweight division remains one of boxing’s deepest and most compelling weight classes and right now, it’s also one of the most unsettled. For months, the sport has waited on what many believe is the best fight 154 pounds can offer: Jaron Ennis vs. Vergil Ortiz Jr.. It’s a matchup that checks every box prime-for-prime, boxer-puncher vs. pressure monster, star power, and divisional supremacy.
Yet as negotiations continue to drag publicly, and with Ortiz filing a lawsuit against Golden Boy Promotions earlier this month, doubts are growing about whether that showdown will actually come next.
While the division’s biggest fight remains stuck in neutral, this weekend offers several meaningful bouts that could finally bring clarity to boxing’s most crowded weight class.
Zayas Returns Home With Titles on the Line
Saturday night in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Xander Zayas will attempt to unify junior middleweight titles in a homecoming bout against Abass Baraou.
The fight comes under unusual circumstances. With Top Rank still searching for a new media-rights partner following the end of its ESPN deal, Zayas-Baraou will stream on the promotion’s “classics” channel typically reserved for archival fights.
Zayas, 23, is being groomed as the next star from the boxing-crazed island. He’s athletic, polished, and marketable, but he has yet to fully prove he belongs among the elite. Time is on his side, but Saturday represents a meaningful step forward.
Baraou, meanwhile, is no soft touch. The German captured his title with a stunning upset decision over Yoenis Tellez in August, punctuated by a late knockdown that removed any doubt. His pressure and physicality will test Zayas’ jab, volume, and composure similar to the blueprint Dalton Smith used to neutralize Subriel Matías.
A win places either man firmly in line for major paydays in a division loaded with options. Zayas enters ranked No. 5 by The Ring at 154 pounds, while Baraou sits at No. 8.
Murtazaliev Defends, Matchroom Watches Closely
Across the Atlantic, Bakhram Murtazaliev makes the first defense of his title Saturday against England’s Josh Kelly in Newcastle.
Murtazaliev hasn’t fought since October 2024, when he shocked the boxing world by ripping through Tim Tszyu in a brutal TKO upset. That performance vaulted him into the division’s upper tier, but inactivity has left questions unanswered.
Kelly, promoted by Eddie Hearn, represents a potential contingency plan for Matchroom if Ennis-Ortiz never materializes. He can box from the outside, but against a dangerous puncher like Murtazaliev, durability and defense will be under the microscope especially given his 2021 TKO loss to David Avanesyan.
Murtazaliev is currently ranked No. 4 by The Ring, and a strong showing would force him back into any serious discussion about divisional supremacy.
Madrimov, Fundora, and the Big Names in Limbo
Just ahead of the weekend, Israil Madrimov returned with a tougher-than-expected unanimous decision over massive underdog Luis Salazar. It was Madrimov’s first fight since losing to Ortiz in February, a bout he entered while dealing with bronchitis, pneumonia, and injuries that later required surgery to repair a torn labrum and meniscus.
The version of Madrimov who gave Terence Crawford fits in 2024 didn’t fully reappear. Whether that’s due to rust, lingering health issues, or something else entirely remains to be seen. Ideally, he’ll return sooner rather than later to clarify where he stands.
Elsewhere, Sebastian Fundora, the towering 6-foot-5½ titleholder, is expected to defend against Keith Thurman in a rescheduled bout that was postponed in October. Fundora’s size, aggression, and chaos make him must-see TV and he currently sits No. 2 at 154, just behind Ortiz.
Then there’s Jermell Charlo, who hasn’t fought since 2023 but continues to loom over the division. After moving up two weight classes and getting outclassed by Canelo Alvarez. Charlo has stated his intention to return to 154 pounds. Given his name value, he remains a viable opponent for nearly anyone near the top.
Waiting on the Fight Watching the Division
At the center of it all remain Ennis and Ortiz the fight everyone wants, the bout that defines the division. Whether it happens next or not, junior middleweight refuses to stand still.
This weekend won’t crown an undisputed king, but it will shape the landscape. Titles will be defended, contenders will emerge, and leverage will shift whether or not the division’s biggest fight ever gets made. At 154 pounds, the answers may not come all at once. But they’re coming.
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Robert LaMar is a writer for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X via @RobertLaMar26
