Unbeaten welterweight puncher Vergil Ortiz is hoping to secure a world title shot in 2022.

Ortiz (18-0, 18 KOs) has several paths to explore - with being the number one ranked fighter under the WBC and WBO, and ranked at number two under the WBA.

In the last few months, one of the key welterweight bouts saw WBA welterweight champion Yordenis Ugas outbox Manny Pacquiao over twelve rounds for a unanimous decision win.

Pacquiao, an eight division world champion, would announce his retirement from the sport a few weeks later.

Ugas accepted the fight on less than two weeks notice -when original opponent, WBC/IBF welterweight champion Errol Spence, was forced to withdraw with an eye injury. 

Leading up to the fight, Ortiz predicted a win for Pacquiao.

He admits the Cuban world champion did much better than he expected.

"Well, I had always said age was going to be a factor," Ortiz  told Give Me Sport.

"I did think that Pacquiao was going to win.  But I mean, Ugas did way better than I expected, and it didn't play out like I thought it would. 

"I just expected Pacquiao to be more effective, I wasn't expecting too much, but I did expect him to win. Ugas used his jab really well and I think that was the key reason why he won the fight."

Ortiz's future title path is still be determined.

Ugas is currently under a WBA order to make a mandatory defense against Eimantas Stanionis. The WBO champion, Terence Crawford, will make a mandatory defense against Shawn Porter later this month. And IBF, WBC champion Errol Spence is expected to fight in the first quarter of 2022.