Ortiz fight off due to charge rape

FORMER welterweight world champion Victor Ortiz, arrested on suspicion of rape on Tuesday in Oxnard, California, won’t fight as scheduled on Sunday according to an Instagram post from intended opponent John Molina Jr.

Ortiz turned himself in on Tuesday after authorities filed a felony complaint against him alleging rape during a March 19 incident in which a woman told Oxnard police she was sexually assaulted.

Ventura County prosecutors said Ortiz was due to appear in Ventura County Superior Court on October 1 to be arraigned on multiple charges related to the incident.

His release on bail had seemed to leave open the possibility he would still fight on Sunday’s Premier Boxing Champions card in Ontario, California, but Molina posted the bout was off.

“Sorry to all my friends, family and fans,” Molina posted on Instagram. “I was more than ready for this fight ... I’ll be in the ring soon.”

Ortiz, 31, was WBC welterweight world champion thanks to a bruising victory over Andre Berto when he took on challenger Floyd Mayweather in September 2011.

Mayweather emerged with a controversial fourth-round KO, stunning an apparently unprepared Ortiz with a barrage of blows after the referee had briefly stopped the bout to dock Ortiz a point for an intentional headbutt.