Jamaine Ortiz has been in a rebuilding phase since his close loss to Teofimo Lopez in February of 2023, a phase that tends to go hand-in-hand with being a veteran boxer.

Ortiz fights Yomar Alamo in a ten-round junior welterweight on Saturday at the Caribe Royale in Orlando, Florida. 

Ortiz splits time between Worcester, Massachusetts, and Dubai, though he gave no details as to how that came about. Ortiz is no longer an emerging prospect at 28, but rather an experienced veteran. He was introduced to most fans with a close loss to multi-division titleholder Vasiliy Lomachenko and an upset win over former titleholder Jamel Herring.

“I’m a true veteran in a sport. I know what it takes to be ready for these big fights,” Ortiz told BoxingScene.

Ortiz, who is currently co-promoted by CES Boxing and BoxLab Promotions, is hoping to secure a big fight soon, though what that fight would be is unclear. Given that Ortiz is ranked No.14 in the IBF rankings and No.15 in the WBA rankings, it might seem logical that he’d target those titleholders, but Ortiz was quick to say “not necessarily.” He is looking to stay active. This will be his second fight since losing to Lopez. The fight was close. The division he is in is hot and he hopes to stay active and relevant.

“The number one goal is to stay busy,” Ortiz said. “I know if I stay active I’ll be sharp when I get to the big fight.”

Ortiz didn’t downplay the 30-year-old Puerto Rican veteran Alamo.

Alamo, 22-3-1 (13 KOs), has only lost to Richardson Hitchins, Liam Paro, and Delante “Tiger” Johnson. He even dropped Paro in the first round of their fight. He is also 2-3 in his last five fights where Alamo ramped up his level of competition. Though Ortiz will want bigger names in the future, he is looking to prove a point against Alamo, who has only been stopped once in his career.

“I looked at his record and he’s only lost to undefeated fighters at the elite level. That lets me know I’m in a tough fight,” said Ortiz.

“I feel confident going into this fight and I know a win will put me in position to fight for a world title. I’m ready to go.”

Lucas Ketelle is the author of “Inside the Ropes of Boxing,” a guide for young fighters, a writer for BoxingScene and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Find him on X at @BigDogLukie.