What’s Next For Jaron Ennis After The Lima Win?

This fight has been teased for years across two weight classes. Reports indicated the fight never happened, as Ennis wanted it at 147, with Ortiz not keen on that after his weight struggles at welterweight. The likelihood of this fight hinges on Ortiz’s performance in his upcoming bout against Erickson Lubin next month. If Ortiz defeats Lubin, as expected, Eddie Hearn has already confirmed talks are in place to make the Ennis vs. Ortiz showdown happen early next year. 

The next logical step in his “belt chasing” quest is to challenge the unified WBC and WBO titleholder, Sebastian Fundora. Fundora, known for his towering height and aggressive style, presents a unique puzzle for any fighter and would offer a completely different stylistic test than Lima. Fundora was meant to fight Keith Thurman, but pulled out due to a hand injury. 

Similarly, Bakhram Murtazaliev, who currently holds the IBF junior middleweight title—a belt Ennis previously unified at 147 pounds—is also a highly plausible target. Facing either of these champions would not only fulfill Ennis’ goal of becoming a two-weight world champion but would also continue the process of unifying the junior middleweight division.

A long-term possibility remains a catchweight or junior middleweight fight against Terence Crawford. Ennis has been calling for a showdown with Crawford, but Crawford showed little interest while both were at welterweight. However, Crawford has since moved up, competing at 154 pounds (winning the WBA title against Israil Madrimov) before beating Canelo Alvarez to become undisputed at 168. While Crawford’s post-Canelo future is uncertain, Ennis’ entry into the 154-pound division makes the hypothetical clash the “fight to make.”