After a year of being questioned about the way he was crowned as the World Boxing Association (Super) Welterweight champion, Yordenis Ugas felt vindicated.
On Sunday, Ugas was able to prove that he belongs with the welterweight division’s finest after picking up a unanimous decision win against Manny Pacquiao.
“I have been living in Manny’s shadow for a year.
“We were going to fight in the ring and find out in the ring (who the champion is). It was decided in the ring,” said Ugas, a bronze medalist in the 2008 Beijing Games.
Ugas took the fight on short notice as 10 days before the event held at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Pacquiao’s original opponent Errol Spence Jr. was sidelined due to a detached right retina.
For his part, Ugas was preparing for Fabian Maidana.
“For ten days, we had to prepare for this fight. We weren’t worried about what Manny Pacquiao will do,” he said.
“What worried us what we are going to do.”
Come fight night, Ugas was precise as he avoided clashes and picked his spots.
Ugas, 35, landed 50 of his 234 jabs and 101 of his 171 power punches. His punch total was nearly half of 42-year-old Pacquiao’s 815.
“Since the first round, he came out very alert. We knew that we had to take control of the fight and that’s exactly what we did,” he recalled.
“Of course, Manny Pacquiao punches hard. He is a great puncher. A got rattled by the left but he has been hard before. I have fought everybody and I know what to do when I get tagged.”
But what’s next for Ugas?
Photo from Ryan Hafey/Premier Boxing Champions
According to their contract, Pacquiao, if he decides to push through with his boxing career, can ask for a rematch. If he does, Ugas will gladly oblige.
“Two-hundred percent.
“Manny is a great legend, a great fighter. If he wants a rematch, no question about it. A legend like that deserves it,” he said.
At the end of the day, Ugas wanted to prove a point. “People say that Cuban’s can’t win the big fight. This fight is for the people of Cuba.”
Now he has proven that he and Cubans belong in the sport.
