Yordenis Ugás confident headed into surprise Manny Pacquiao fight

Manny Pacquiao and Yordenis Ugás addressed the media a day after news broke of Errol Spence Jr.’s torn retina. Ugás feels confident against Pacquiao. 

Boxing was dealt another blow after another canceled fight. Errol Spence Jr. had to pull out of his Aug. 21 welterweight title defense against Manny Pacquiao, but WBA champion Yordenis Ugás is pumped to take his place.

Spence was diagnosed with a torn retina, making it impossible for him to fight Pacquiao. Ugás was on the undercard against Fabian Maidana, but Maidana suffered a cut during training rendering him unable to fight.

Now, Pacquiao fights Ugás for the WBA belt that once belonged to him.

“I’m not disappointed at all in what happened because my hard work will not be wasted,” said Pacquiao during a recent media call. “Ugás stepped up and is bringing his WBA championship into the fight, which I’m excited to fight for.”

Yordenis Ugás is an underdog against Manny Pacquiao, but the odds are closer than you think

Pacquiao likely enjoys winning titles, but that’s not his primary motivation.

“I have a lot of people around me that motivate me to win this fight, especially for my family. I’m also very motivated to give the fans a great fight that they’re going to enjoy in the arena or watching on pay-per-view,” said Pacquiao.

Pacquiao added, “In the end, I want to win the belts. I’m so excited for this championship fight, and I don’t care if I’m the challenger or champion coming into it. We’ll see who is the champion after August 21.”

Ugás is the betting underdog, to no one’s surprise, but the odds are closer than you might think. According to Wynnbet.com, Pacquiao is at -370, and Ugás is at +250.

Ugás isn’t letting underdog status phase him.

“I’m well-aware that Pacquiao is the favorite,” said Ugás to FanSided during the media call. “But at the same time, I’m a champion. Since I came back five years ago, I’ve overcome so much. I’ve faced so many strong opponents in order to get to where I am today. I have full confidence in myself and my ability to get a victory.”

Ugás cites his life battles, including his defection from Cuba and a constant battle to free Cuba, as his biggest asset in terms of his strength and resolve.

“I’m a fighter not only inside of the ring but outside of the ring I fight for the freedom of my people,” said Ugás. “That’s the most important thing to me. I hope everyone fighting for freedom in Cuba is safe and knows that I’ll be fighting for them on Saturday, August 21.”

Pacquiao vs. Ugás takes place on Saturday, Aug. 21, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV.