The Ring’s Mike Coppinger confirmed during the newest episode of “Inside The Ring,” which debuted Monday on DAZN, that Ortiz will likely move up to middleweight for his next fight sometime in November. Among the names the WBC interim 154-pound champion is eyeing for his 160-pound debut are WBA champ Erislandy Lara, WBC titleholder Carlos Adames, former undisputed junior middleweight champ Jermell Charlo and ex-WBO junior middleweight belt-holder Tim Tszyu.

Ortiz’s manager, Rick Mirigian, previously told The Ring’s Manouk Akopyan that Ortiz could move up to 160 for his return fight in November, though they were still keeping their options open at 154. Ortiz, of Grand Prairie, Texas, is The Ring’s No. 2-ranked junior middleweight.

Ortiz (24-0, 22 KOs) last fought November 8, when he scored a second-round stoppage of Erickson Lubin (27-3, 19 KOs). That dominant victory was expected to set the stage for a long-stalled showdown with Jaron “Boots” Ennis, but Ortiz sued his promoter, Golden Boy Promotions, for breach of contract on January 16 in a Nevada court.

Ortiz, 28, then sought to fight Ennis, 29, without Golden Boy’s involvement in April, but Golden Boy Promotions was granted a temporary restraining order on February 13 to block the fight.

Ortiz and Golden Boy Promotions have since smoothed things over and reached an amicable settlement on July 17 to avoid arbitration and any pending litigation. Ennis (36-0, 32 KOs, 1 NC), The Ring’s No. 1 contender for a vacant junior middleweight title, moved on and beat Xander Zayas by seventh-round stoppage to become the WBA and WBO 154-pound champion on June 27 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

The Philadelphia native is expected to face IBF titleholder Josh Kelly (19-1-1, 9 KOs), ranked No. 6 by The Ring, next in a unification bout in late 2026.

Any of Ortiz’s preferred fights at 160 pounds would be significant and represent the biggest fight of his career. Adames (25-1-1, 18 KOs) is The Ring’s No. 1 contender for a title that is also unclaimed, and Lara (32-3-3, 19 KOs) is No. 4.

Charlo (35-2-1, 19 KOs) hasn’t fought since September 2023, when he lost a one-sided unanimous decision to then-undisputed super middleweight champ Canelo Alvarez. Tszyu (28-3, 18 KOs) is coming off a one-sided, unanimous points victory over Errol Spence Jr. on July 26 in Sydney, Australia.

Ortiz and Tszyu were scheduled to fight in August 2024, but the Australian wasn’t medically cleared to train in time due to a career-altering cut he suffered early in his 12-round, split-decision defeat to Sebastian Fundora in March of that year.