Ugas insists he’s not going down
By Joaquin Henson
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 20 Aug 2021
Yordenis Ugas.
LAS VEGAS. WBA welterweight super champion Yordenis Ugas said yesterday he’s prepared to go the 12-round distance with challenger Manny Pacquiao and convinced his record of durability will stand up to the test in their title fight at the T-Mobile Arena here tomorrow night (Sunday morning, Manila time).
Ugas, 35, has never been stopped in compiling a record of 26-4, with 12 KOs. His four losses were all on points, including three by split decision. He’s been floored twice, once by Mexican southpaw Emanuel Robles in 2014 and once by Puerto Rican right-hander Thomas Dulorme in 2017. Ugas lost to Robles but got up to beat Dulorme. In the amateurs, Ugas was decked twice by Canadian left-hander Ibrahim Kamal with lefts to the chin in 2005 and escaped defeat when his tormentor surrendered with an injured knee after being wrestled to the canvas.
Ugas took the Pacquiao fight on two weeks’ notice when the Filipino’s original opponent Errol Spence backed out with a torn retina in the left eye. The Cuban was slated to take on right-hander Fabian Maidana in the undercard so after the switch, he brought in southpaw sparmates Robeisy Ramirez, Claudio Marrero and Maurice Lee to simulate Pacquiao’s style.
Ugas’ trainer Ismael Salas said facing a southpaw isn’t a worry even if he had lost to Robles and was mauled by Kamal. In the pros, Ugas has battled six southpaws, stopping three, outpointing two and bowing to one. Cesar Miguel Barrionueva was the last left-hander to confront Ugas and went the 12-round route in 2018. Previously unbeaten Bryant Perrella, Ray Robinson and Rynell Griffin were the southpaws stopped by Ugas.
“I’m a strong, durable fighter who comes to fight for 12 rounds,” said Ugas in a message transmitted by his publicist Mario Serrano. “I was a different fighter and in a different state of mind for the Robles fight. Since then, I’ve joined Ismael and have had dominating performances against southpaws with two KOs and one unanimous decision. I’ve shown (the ability) to adjust to different styles and I have a game plan for anything Pacquiao brings into the ring. We’re preparing for the best version of Pacquiao. Ismael and I have a plan and it will show in the fight.” Ugas said he’s more than 100 percent sure Pacquiao won’t knock him out.
Ugas said destiny made his dream fight against Pacquiao happen. Like Spence, Maidana withdrew with an eye injury, leaving Ugas and Pacquiao available to face off. “I was training like any other day on Monday (last week) when I heard the news,” he said. “I was super excited and ready for the challenge.”
Ugas said his most memorable fight was when he defeated Abel Ramos last year to become the first Cuban welterweight champion since Jose Napoles ended his reign in 1976. Other Cubans who have ruled the 147-pound division were Kid Gavilan, Florentino Fernandez, Benny (Kid) Paret and Luis Rodriguez.
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