Vergil Ortiz uses punishing body attack to stop McKinson in 9th round of eliminator

But welterweight contender is harsh on himself after fight

There was something new and also something old for welterweight contender Vergil Ortiz Jr. in his dominating knockout victory over Michael McKinson in their WBA title elimination bout on Saturday night.

The new: He was pushed past the eighth round for the first time thanks to McKinson’s combination of toughness and slickness.

The old: He kept his knockout record perfect, dropping McKinson twice and stopping him in the early moments of the ninth round in the main event of a Golden Boy Promotions card on DAZN before 6,315 at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, a home fight for Ortiz, who hails from nearby Grand Prairie.