Judge Rules in Favor Golden Boy Against Vergil Ortiz, Sides Headed to Arbitration
- Matthew Brown
- Mar 2
- 2 min read
03/02/2026
A federal judge in Las Vegas has ruled in favor of Golden Boy Promotions in its contract dispute with Vergil Ortiz Jr., sending the matter to arbitration and granting immediate relief to the promotional company.
Judge Cristina Silva sided with Golden Boy in Ortiz’s federal lawsuit, which centered on his attempt to terminate his promotional agreement. The court granted Golden Boy’s request for arbitration and issued injunctive relief pending those proceedings. As a result, Ortiz is prohibited from negotiating a new fight or entering into a new promotional contract with any entity other than Golden Boy while the arbitration process plays out.
At the heart of the dispute is Ortiz’s claim that his agreement with Golden Boy should be considered terminated. He filed suit alleging breach of contract and interference with prospective economic advantage. Ortiz maintained that the promotional contract lapsed alongside the expiration of an output agreement between Golden Boy and DAZN.
Golden Boy rejected that argument, insisting there is a meaningful distinction between termination of a contract and termination of a business relationship. The company pointed out that it secured two one off dates from DAZN in January and March and has been negotiating a new multi year agreement for 2026 and 2027.
With arbitration looming and injunctive relief in place, Ortiz’s immediate future remains tied to Golden Boy as both sides prepare for the next stage of what has become one of boxing’s most closely watched promotional battles.
When the lawsuit was first filed, Golden Boy CEO Oscar De La Hoya expressed strong confidence in his company’s position. He said that Ortiz was receiving poor guidance from his lawyer and manager and accused them of repeatedly violating the contract. He added that Golden Boy would aggressively defend the lawsuit and enforce its rights, stating he was confident a judge would find the contract valid and determine that Ortiz and his team were in breach.
That confidence has now been validated in federal court.
De La Hoya released a statement following the ruling, simply stating, “Justice has prevailed.”
The dispute has also intensified tensions between Golden Boy and Ortiz’s manager Rick Mirigian, and the matter will now proceed before an arbitrator.
The ruling comes at a pivotal moment for Ortiz, who was reportedly close to finalizing a three bout deal with Matchroom Boxing worth at least 12 million dollars and potentially as much as 20 million dollars. The deal also reportedly included a bout against Jaron Ennis.
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