That kind of talk suggests he is already thinking like ‘The Businessman’ rather than a fighter, which is worrisome at this stage of his career. He is only 26 and already focused on money fights rather than the work directly in front of him.
Losing this fight means no mega-millions at 147. He’d have to rebuild his career, which won’t be easy at 140 with the sharks like Ernesto Mercado hunting overhyped game, looking to finish off the Olympic second place finisher’s career.
Davis also included a photo of a scale reading 140.8, showing he is nearly on weight for his light welterweight debut against Ortiz on January 31, 2026.
This will be Davis’s first fight at 140, and it is not a soft introduction. Ortiz is one of the better contenders in the division and represents a real test. He is arguably a more talented version of Davis’s close friend Shakur Stevenson. Jamaine’s career is what Stevenson’s would be if he were given the same hard road instead of fed fighters like Josh Padley and Artem Harutyunyan.
Davis is being thrown into the deep end by his promoters. Fighters are usually eased into a new weight class, but this event is being built around fan friendly matchups. Ortiz fits that goal with his pressure, pace, and willingness to engage.
Where Ortiz differs from Stevenson is power. He carries more pop, throws faster combinations, and sustains his output at a higher rate. While he has losses on his record, one came in a highly questionable decision against Teofimo Lopez in 2024.
I had Ortiz winning that fight ten rounds to two on hand speed and volume. Lopez struggled throughout, and it was the worst performance of his career, worse than the loss to George Kambosos Jr. or the close win over Sandor Martin.
That is the level of opponent Davis is stepping in with immediately, even as his attention already appears to be drifting toward a different weight class and bigger names.
