Manny Pacquiao shocked by Yordenis Ugas in welterweight showdown

Brendan Bradford

Manny Pacquiao shocked by Yordenis Ugas in welterweight showdown image

Late-notice replacement Yordenis Ugas has scored a boilover win over Manny Pacquiao in their welterweight main event bout at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. 

The WBA champion, Ugas was drafted in on just 11 days' notice to fight Pacquiao after Errol Spence was forced out with an eye injury. 

Ugas was already on the card, but didn't miss a beat in stepping up to fight the future hall of famer, claiming the decision win with scores of 115-113, 116-112 and 116-112. 

It's Pacquiao's first defeat since his loss to Jeff Horn in 2017, and at 42, his future in the sport is in doubt. 

Ugas won the WBA's 'regular' title last year and was elevated to 'super' champion in January due to Pacquiao's inactivity. In the lead-up, Pacquiao said Ugas doesn't deserve the title, but the Cuban silenced that talk on the weekend. 

"I'm excited, I want to thank Manny Pacquiao for giving me this opportunity," Ugas said via an interpreter after the decision was announced. 

"He's a great competitor, but I came in here to show I am the champion. Great respect for him, but I won this fight. 

"We only had two weeks of training, but I listened to my corner and it all worked out."

Ugas said he wants to unify the division next, and is already eyeing up a fight with Spence. 

"The plan is to unify at welterweight," he said. 

"Everyone said he was the champion, now they know who the real champion is.

"He (Spence) is the next one on the list, but most of all I'm praying he recuperates."

Pacquiao didn't argue with the scores, but said he struggled to adjust to Ugas' style and couldn't get his legs working.

"That's boxing," Pacquiao said afterwards.

"It's a hard time making adjustments with boxing styles and I think it's a problem for me. I didn't make adjustments straight away and my legs were tight.

"My legs were so tight, it was hard to move."

Pacquiao didn't make an announcement on his boxing future, saying he needed time to recover and talk with his family. 

MANNY PACQUIAO VS YORDENIS UGAS - THE FIGHT

Pacquiao had Ugas' attention from several nice flurries in the first round, before the Cuban found his range and timing for his jab. 

While Pacquiao was busier in the second, it was Ugas who landed more, throwing his right hand judiciously, and countering well. 

The taller, stronger and younger fighter, Ugas had the physical edge, but Pacquiao seemed intent to walk through the fire on the outside to make it a war in close.

Referee Russell Mora needlessly stepped in on several occasions in the opening four rounds, warning Ugas about low blows and a push. Mora called time off in the first minute of the fourth to give Ugas an official warning for a jab on Pacman's belt line.

Ugas looked incredulous at the warning, and it was obvious a large part of his plan was to target the 42-year-old's midsection.

With Ugas' fightplan established - jabbing, countering and throwing big rights - it fell to Pacquiao to force the action. We saw glimpses of his legendary flurries and combinations, but by the midway point of the fight, it was clear this was a 42-year-old who hadn't fought in 24 months. 

He remained dangerous - especially if Ugas stayed still - but Ugas rarely looked in any great discomfort. 

Ugas rarely threw more than three punches at any one time, but it was enough. Pacquiao had welts under both eyes by round seven as Ugas fought an incredibly disciplined fight. 

It was all too one-dimensional from Pacquiao, who would generally have had most of his other opponents wilting by round nine. Not so Ugas. 

The 2008 Olympics bronze medalist took whatever Pacquiao had and answered with cleaner, harder shots.

Pacquiao had the T-Mobile Arena crowd on its feet in the 10th with a few quick flurries, but the aging legend couldn't capitalise or drive any advantage home. 

It was Ugas who gradually pulled away in the closing couple of rounds, scoring the biggest win of his career. 

In the co-main event, veterans Victor Ortiz and Robert Guerrero went 10 hard but largely underwhelming rounds. 

They started with a bang, but age caught up to the pair of southpaws, before 38-year-old Guerrero scored a unanimous decision win over 34-year-old Ortiz. 

There were scary scenes in the featherweight bout between Mark Masgayo and Julio Ceja. 

After nine back and forth rounds, Masgayo knocked Ceja out with a straight right hand, and followed up with another right as Ceja fell to the canvas. 

Ceja was out the moment he hit the canvas and took a few minutes to climb back to his feet. He fell back to the mat shortly afterwards though, and needed to be assisted from the ring. 

 

Brendan Bradford