He’s had modest success, going 26-4 with 12 KOs, but he’s mostly known for a good performance in a 2019 loss to Shawn Porter. He finally defected in 2010 after winning a bronze medal for Cuba at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.
He attempted to defect six times, and was caught and sent to prison after each failure. He has seven weight classes to go if he’s going to catch Pacquiao in titles - and the one he has is highly questionable because of it's gift from the WBA - but his story is no less dramatic.Īnd like Pacquiao, he’s a guy who is not hard to root for once you get to know him and understand what he went through to escape the tyranny in his native Cuba. Yordenis Ugas, who on Saturday will face the legendary Pacquiao at T-Mobile Arena, is neither rich nor famous. "If I become undisputed world champion at any point in my career, then I will have cemented my legacy as one of the best fighters in boxing history," concluded Yordenis Ugas, the Cuban hope.He’s a recognized champion in a record eight weight classes and one of the highest-earning boxers of all time. It will be the second consecutive left-handed fighter Ugas has faced, both times starting as the underdog in the betting-the story of his life. The now-WBC champion will now return from injury straight into a unification fight against the Cuban next Saturday in Texas. Ganarme ese respeto es el gran orgullo de mi vida. La comunidad cubana una vez más va salir a apoyarme.Mi comunidad está orgullosa de mí y de lo que estoy haciendo dentro y fuera del ring. #SpenceUgas Espero termine la narrativa de que la afición cubana no apoya a sus luchadores.
Every fight I go into, I have full confidence that I will come out victorious," said Ugas. "I'm a man of great faith and I've never had a problem believing in myself. Yordenis replaced Spence, who suffered a detached retina in training and defeated the iconic Filipino PacMan on points, becoming an overnight sensation. But the WBA title was not awarded to him until 2021 amid Manny Pacquiao's inactivity, but with the tag of the interim champion.Īs luck would have it, he was given a chance to legitimize himself last August after Spence, 32, pulled out of a fight with Pacquiao, 43. The fighter was mostly avoided in the welterweight division, only narrowly losing a decision to 34-year-old Shawn Porter in 2019. Cubanos que llegaron a un país q reconoció tu talento trabajo y esfuerzo pero bueno ahora las clarias me caen diciendo que Cuba le dió todo el conocimiento /eVm9VnpEs0 Chapman gave Ugas money to return to boxing and train in Las Vegas, an opportunity he grabbed with both hands, literally.ĭos Cubanos Chapman el pitcher el Misil y Yordenis Ugas Boxeador Campeón Mundial casual en las entrañas de Mounstro Brutal.
Aroldis Chapman, the baseball star who had signed a lucrative contract with the Cincinnati Reds, offered his friend and fellow defector a lifeline. Ugás moved to New Jersey and worked odd jobs to make ends meet until a phone call turned his life upside down. The blow proved so damaging that he retired from the sport. Despite bouncing back with four wins, Ugas suffered a disaster in 2014 with back-to-back losses to Emmanuel Robles and then Amir Imam. He won his first 11 fights before losing by upset to Johnny Garcia in 2012.
The 2008 Olympic bronze medalist made his professional debut in 2010, the same year he came to the United States. I will always do my best to be a humble fighter who inspires others,” the 35-year-old fighter told The Last Stand. Being a role model is very important when you're a top athlete. There were times when I was really down after spending days in jail, but I never lost hope.
"Absolutely the will in me always carries over to a fight. However, his attempted defections and prison punishments remind him that he has overcome far greater challenges than those presented in the ring. #SpenceUgas 10 years ago this fight and defeat would mark my career. He then traveled to Miami in the hope of literally fighting for a better life. In 2010, just two years after the Beijing Olympics, the boxer finally escaped from the island where professional boxing was banned until a week ago and ended up in Mexico. After six failed attempts to escape from Cuba, which resulted in prison sentences, Ugás finally won his freedom. for the world title, having already won the fight of his life. Today's best Cuban boxer, Yordenis Ugás, will stand between the ropes against Errol Spence Jr.