You can’t blame Yordenis Ugas for his dismissive perspective on odds.
Shawn Porter was a 6-1 favorite versus Ugas ahead of their fight for Porter’s WBC welterweight title in March 2019. And Manny Pacquiao was nearly a 3-1 favorite by the time he squared off against Ugas on August 21.
Ugas lost a controversial split decision to Porter, but the Cuban-born boxer’s performance that night established him as an elite welterweight. Nearly 2½ years later, Ugas upset Pacquiao by unanimous decision, despite that he took their 12-round fight on only 11 days’ notice.
The Miami resident’s decisive victory over Pacquiao helped him secure his upcoming championship unification fight against Errol Spence Jr. Spence (27-0, 21 KOs), who owns the IBF and WBC 147-pound crowns, is listed as more than a 4-1 favorite to win their 12-round fight April 16 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Ugas understandably couldn’t care less how handicappers perceive their Showtime Pay-Per-View main event.
“It doesn’t mean nothing,” Ugas told Premier Boxing Champions’ Ray Flores. “I’ve been the underdog not just for Pacquiao or Errol Spence. Most of my fights I’ve been the underdog. That doesn’t mean nothing for me.”
Jamal James was more than a 13-1 favorite to beat Ugas when they squared off in Ugas’ welterweight debut 5½ years ago.
Ugas (27-4, 12 KOs) ended more than a two-year layoff when he boxed James in August 2016 at Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York. He had lost back-to-back decisions to Emanuel Robles and Amir Imam in his previous two bouts, but that didn’t prevent Ugas from thoroughly out-boxing James (then 20-0) en route to winning a 10-round unanimous decision (99-91, 98-92, 96-94).
The rejuvenated Ugas’ only loss in 12 welterweight bouts since he overcame James was the aforementioned debatable defeat to Porter (31-4-1, 17 KOs), who has since retired.
Three fights after his setback against Porter, Ugas won the then-vacant WBA world welterweight title when he edged Abel Ramos (27-5-2, 21 KOs) by split decision. Ugas won that 12-rounder in September 2020 at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles by scores of 115-113, 115-113 and 111-117.
Ugas became the WBA’s legitimate 147-pound champion when he out-boxed Pacquiao seven months ago at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. He replaced Spence as Pacquiao’s opponent on only 11 days’ notice once Spence withdrew to have surgery to repair his torn left retina.
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.