Manny Pacquiao vs. Yordenis Ugás: Live round-by-round highlights & updates (Video)

Follow along here for live round-by-round updates as Manny Pacquiao returns to the boxing ring after more than two years against Yordenis Ugás. 

At 42 years old, boxing legend Manny Pacquiao is still one of the most marketable and popular fighters in the sport, but does he still have it?

WBA welterweight champion Yordenis Ugás looks to cement his name in fans’ minds with an upset victory against Pacquiao, but Pacquiao is a future Hall-of-Famer for a reason. With 26 years in the bank as a professional boxer, Pacquiao expects to make his 72nd bout a winning effort.

Pacquiao was the WBA welterweight champion, but he was stripped of the belt due to two years of inactivity, and Ugás was elevated to full champion status. Essentially, Pacquiao is fighting Ugás for his former title, which he never lost in the ring.

When Pacquiao last fought in 2019, he looked impressive against the younger Keith Thurman and won a split decision victory. Two years is a long time, and people wonder if Pacquiao has lost a step since then.

Ugás beat Abel Ramos in 2020 by split decision in his last outing. The 35-year-old fighter originally from Cuba has a four-fight winning streak and has shown vast improvement over the years, but will it be enough to knockoff Pacquiao?

The Aug. 21 FOX pay-per-view bout kicks off at 9 p.m. ET, and FanSided will be watching all the way. Expect the main event to go off sometime around 11 p.m. ET or after. Check back here for live fight updates for Pacquiao vs. Ugás.

Manny Pacquiao vs. Yordenis Ugás live round-by-round updates and highlights

Round 1

Pacquiao came out fast, throwing some probing combinations to Ugás’s body. Ugás stayed patient and tried to work off the jab, but Pacquiao backed him to the ropes and got inside of his reach. It was a good start for Pacquiao, who had the crowd behind him.

Round 2

Ugás was active with his jab, and it gave Pacquiao some problems early in the round. Pacquiao slowed things down a bit, and Ugás was more active. This round belonged to Ugás in my eyes. Ugás mixed punches high and low as he established work to the body.

Round 3

A chess match emerged. Pacquiao and Ugás exchanged blows, but Ugás right hand started to land on Pacquiao’s head. Pacquiao landed a combination that backs Ugás against the ropes. The crowd went wild, but it was a brief moment in a round mostly controlled by Ugás.

Round 4

Ugás received his third warning for low blows. Pacquiao was given time to recover but only took a few seconds before the action started back up. Ugás’s punch appeared on the belt. The sound of Ugás punches reverberated and looked strong. Pacquiao landed his shots, but Ugás looked good.

Round 5

Pacquiao let his left hand go more early in round 5. Ugás returned with several straight rights. There was a slight clash of heads but no injuries. It was a back and forth round, but Pacquiao’s activity level down the stretch likely won him the round.

Round 6

Pacquiao tried to re-establish his jab. Ugás tried to time him with his right cross. They spent a lot of time analyzing each other, and the crowd tried to cheer Pacquiao into action, but Ugás’s right hand met their cheers. This was a clear Ugás round.

Round 7

Pacquiao scored the first combination of the round a minute in. Ugás stayed calm and kept pumping his jab. Ugás landed a three-punch combination in the last minute, and Pacquiao tried to land one of his own but hit the air. Pacquiao’s struggling to get inside of Ugás’s reach and is giving up some rounds.

Round 8

Pacquiao kept his hands moving but so did Ugás. According to FOX’s punch count, Ugás took the lead on punches landed throughout the fight. It was a hard round to score, but the momentum was on Ugás’s side.

A cut emerged over Ugás right eye, but it didn’t slow him down or bother him.

Round 9

Pacquiao was pushed down at the start of the round. He got back up and started to find his rhythm a bit. Pacquiao did a better job of putting his punches together and was more accurate.

Ugás launched a counter-offensive in the last minute, but it may have come too late to win the round.

Round 10

Pacquiao threw a flurry to start round 10. He came right at Ugás, but an Ugás right hand pushed Pacquiao back. Pacquiao couldn’t sustain his early energy and was hesitant to storm Ugás.

Ugás scored well in the last minute with his right cross. He’s continuing to frustrate Pacquiao and is on the verge of pulling off a sizeable upset.

Round 11

Pacquiao picked up his activity midway through the round, but it came in blips. Ugás loaded up on his right hand and landed it. It was a hard round to score, but one that the judges could give to Pacquiao. Ugás looked to take this round off a bit.

Round 12

Ugás didn’t sit back. He came forward and opened the round with a right. He kept those hands coming and staggered Pacquiao. It was a round that Pacquiao badly needed, and he showed no urgency.

Honestly, Pacquiao likely needed a knockout to win this fight at this point, but it wasn’t coming. Pacquiao looked less than his past form and was out-boxed by Ugás.

Final result: Yordenis Ugás defeats Manny Pacquiao by unanimous decision

The judges returned two scores of 116-112 and one for 115-113, all for Ugás. It was the right call, and those scores were fair. Pacquiao finally looked 42 years old and showed the decline of age.

Pacquiao fought with heart and never gave up, but he was missing that spark from years past. Ugás retained his WBA welterweight title and defeated a legend to up his stock.

Pacquiao was asked after the fight if he will retire but said that he needed to take time to think about that. If it was his last time in the boxing ring, it was a pleasure watching Pacquiao throughout his legendary career.

Manny Pacquiao vs. Yordenis Ugás takes place on Saturday, Aug. 21, from T-Mobile Arena, in Las Vegas, NV. Follow along with FanSided for all your live news and highlights.