The Cuban boxerYordenis Ugás He made history this Saturday with his victory against the legendary Manny Pacquiao by unanimous decision of the judges and retain the crown of the World Boxing Association (WBA) super welterweight championship.
“Thanks to @MannyPacquiao for giving me the opportunity to share the ring with him, he is still one of the best fighters in history. Much respect. Thanks to everyone who supported me. I hope we gave all the fans a great fight. Thank you,” the champion tweeted.
On a perfect night, the Cuban demonstrated the quality of his boxing, technical, punishing, powerful and intelligent in counterattacks. The 35-year-old boxer made what many thought was impossible a reality: beating a legend by unanimous decision with scores of 116-112, 116-112, 115-113.
The result was a faithful reflection of a very even battle, in which the Filipino launched almost twice as many blows as the Cuban, but Ugás's were more effective. “I am very excited, but I want to thank Manny Pacquiao for giving me this moment today,” said Ugás in his interview after a fight that he prepared in just ten days.
Before the duel, held on Saturday night at the TMobile Arena in Las Vegas,Pacquiao started as favorite in the polls, who were 4 to 1 against the Cuban boxer.
The beginning of the fight seemed to prove the betting houses right, with the Filipino taking the initiative with his powerful combinations. But halfway through the first round, Ugás used the jab to keep his rival at a distance and pose a fight of attrition and physical resistance. However, at the height of the sixth round, Ugás began to unleash powerful right hands that broke Pacquiao's guard, and it became clear that the Filipino legend was left without an answer against the Cuban.
In the tenth, Pacquiao had one last opportunity to assert his stripes, when countering a right hand from Ugas he unleashed a blast that made the Cuban stagger. Ugás, who spit out a tooth during the assault – as he later confessed during the celebration, “I choked on it and I had to spit it out in the ring” – showed temperance and a lot of concentration, resisting the onslaught and maintaining the volume of his punches.
In the following assaults, Ugas showed that he had a plan and that the forces were with him to carry it out. Applying constant pressure on Pacquiao, he managed to land right hands on numerous occasions, certifying a brilliant fight that will go down in the history of Cuban boxing.
"Don't know. I'm going to rest and relax. I will make that decision later,” Pacquiao answered at the end of the fight when asked if this would be his last fight. At 42 years old, the Filipino seems to have ended his legendary career in the ring with a high-quality fight.
“Thanks to all Cubans, this victory is for you; thanks to all the people who supported me. I hope I have given you a good joy. Thank you to everyone who lit a candle for me and prayed for me. I hope you are proud of me. I want freedom and opportunities for my country,” Ugás said in a Facebook post after the fight.
Euphoric after the victory, Ugás paid his respects to the Filipino boxer. “We made history today and surprised the world. We beat a legend, one of the greatest fighters in history. What I have done, I have done from the heart. The Cubans don't owe me anything, I am the one who owes the country. Thanks to all the Cubans who came out en masse to support me. I take the victory with humility. “I felt the massive support of all Cubans.”
Pacquiao, popularly known as Pac-Man (62-7-2, 39 KOs), a boxing star and multi-division champion, imposed his name on the poster, but Ugás was not deterred. "I am a warrior. I did not let myself be intimidated by a great rival. Pacquiao is one of the best in history. “A lot of respect for him.”
Happy for his victory, Ugás celebrated singing"Homeland and Life", a motto that has marked all his preparation and that he carried to the combat ring itself. While being hydrated intravenously, the champion sang excerpts with his team and friends.
Posing for a photo with his belt and a Cuban flag, friends wanted to put sunglasses on him to cover his face swollen from the injuries and blows that Pacquiao gave him. “A warrior does not hide his wounds,” answered smiling Yordenis Ugás, a champion who has entered the history of boxing through the front door, carrying Cuba and the freedom of Cubans in his heart, as he declared in his words of gratitude during the celebration of the WBA welterweight champion title.
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