The WBC 154-pound beltholder is scheduled to take on mandatory challenger Ermal Hadribeaj this coming fall on DAZN, taking him out of the picture for a title-unification fight against WBA, WBO champ Jaron Ennis for now.

That evidently has opened the door for a much-talked-about potential showdown between Ennis and Vergil Ortiz in the meantime. The sides reportedly are in the thick of talks.

Fundora would favor Ortiz in that fight in part because Ennis showed vulnerability in his seventh-round knockout victory over Xander Zayas on June 27, struggling in the third round.

“I favor Vergil,” Fundora said. “We saw that third round. That was enough for me to see what I needed to see, but it would be an entertaining fight. That’s for sure.”

And, of course, Fundora still hopes to meet Ennis in what would be a massive event sometime soon. Perhaps it could happen in the spring, assuming Ennis remains unbeaten and “The Towering Inferno” beats Hadribeaj.

“For the last four years we’ve been fighting in March,” Fundora told FightHype.com. “I’ll see you guys in March, hit me up [then].”

Ortiz (24-0, 22 KOs) has been on the shelf since he stopped Erickson Lubin last November in good part because of issues with his promoter Golden Boy, which spilled over into the courtroom. However, Ortiz’s handlers say the relationship has improved enough to allow him a return before year's end.

Ennis (36-0, 32 KOs, 1 NC) might prefer a title-unification matchup with Fundora and has said as much in the aftermath of his stoppage victory over Zayas last month. However, a lucrative and fan-friendly meeting with Ortiz is also an attractive option for both men in the meantime.

Fundora’s focus is on satisfying his mandatory defense at the moment. However, he will follow the fate of his divisional counterparts closely while intending to lure one potential opponent into the ring before much longer.

“Ennis,” he said, “would be the first one for sure.”