Normally stoic in his approach, Vasiliy Lomachenko flashed a bright smile after tipping the scales at 134.6. In what will be his first appearance in the ring since December of 21, the Ukrainian was met by exuberant and joyful cheers. However, just a few moments earlier, Jamaine Ortiz, his upcoming foe and former sparring partner, stood stone-faced as boo’s rained upon him. 

Still, in spite of the jeers, the 26-year-old remained unmoved as he checked in at 134 pounds. Having shared the ring with Lomachenko in countless heated sparring sessions, Ortiz has expressed confidence in his ability to hand the former two-time Olympic gold medalist just the third defeat of his career. 

Outside of his familiarity with his star-studded opponent, Ortiz’s confidence stems from his most recent showing in the ring. 

In what amounted to a career-best showing, Ortiz vaulted to the front of the contender line following his close but clear unanimous decision victory over former champion Jamel Herring. While his standout performance may have led him to the verge of a world title opportunity, Lomachenko has plans of his own. 

Having worked his way diligently back into title contention following his loss against Teofimo Lopez in 2020, Lomachenko reeled off two consecutive victories before lending a helping hand to his native of Ukraine in the ongoing Russian invasion. Now, having returned to the boxing world, the 34-year-old could find himself challenging for the undisputed lightweight crown against Devin Haney, should he score the victory come Saturday night. 

Below are the weights for the full undercard, which airs live on ESPN+ beginning at 6:15 p.m. ET.

Robeisy Ramirez (10-1, 6KOs), Gulfport, Florida via Cienfuegos, Cuba, 125.6 pounds vs. Jose Matias Romero (26-2, 9KOs), Cordoba, Argentina, 127.4 pounds—10 rounds, featherweight

Nico Ali Walsh (6-0, 5KOs), Las Vegas, 159 pounds vs. Billy Wagner (5-2, 1KO), Great Falls, Montana, 159 pounds—6 rounds, middleweight

Richard Torrez Jr. (3-0, 3KOs), Tulare, California, 229.4 pounds vs. Ahmed Hefny (13-2, 5KOs), Brooklyn via Alexandria, Egypt, 218 pounds—6 rounds, heavyweight

Duke Ragan (7-0, 1KO), Cincinnati, 128 pounds vs. Luis Lebron (18-4-1, 11KOs), San Juan, Puerto Rico, 128 pounds—8 rounds, featherweight

Troy Isley (7-0, 4KOs), Alexandria, Virginia, 159 pounds vs. Quincy LaVallais (14-3-1, 9KOs), Kenner, Louisiana, 157.4 pounds—8 rounds, middleweight

Abdullah Mason (4-0, 3KOs), Cleveland, 135.6 pounds vs. Angel Barrera (4-0, 0KOs), Chicago, 135 pounds—6 rounds, lightweight

Haven Brady Jr. (7-0, 4KOs), Albany, Georgia, 131 pounds vs. Eric Mondragon (7-0-1, 4KOs), Maywood. California, 130.6 pounds—8 rounds, featherweight

Delante 'Tiger' Johnson (5-0, 4KOs), Cleveland, Ohio, 141.4 pounds vs. Esteban Garcia (15-1, 7KOs), Brawley, California, 139.2 pounds—6 rounds, middleweight