Cuban professional boxing champion Yordenis Ugás is experiencing a very special chapter in his personal history since he was able to bring his mother to the United States, a long-held dream that is bringing him moments of intense happiness, such as the one he shared this Monday through his social media.
"I am happy and very grateful. Thanks to God, we have won everything, we have achieved all that we set out to do. My perspective has changed a lot during these times: We are no longer asking God for whims, to be the best in the world, or to win, win, win. No, now the only thing I ask God for is to grant my dear Milagros good health and a long life, and to be able to recover some of the time lost. May God always bless her," said Ugás in a post on X.
His heartfelt words were accompanied by a video showing the boxer dancing with his mother in the living room of their apartment in Miami, singing alongside her and showcasing the affection and bond that exists between mother and son.
At the beginning of November, Ugás was able to fulfill his long-standing dream of bringing his mother to live with him in the United States. “It has been such a huge blessing, but something so strange that I am still processing it and I can't believe it," he said in a video shared on his Facebook wall.
The boxer shared that on his mother's first night in the United States, they slept together because two cousins who had also arrived occupied the other rooms in his apartment. He joked that he will now have to buy a more spacious place because they can't all fit anymore.
Moreover, the boxer revealed that a few years ago he bought an oceanfront apartment specifically for his mother, who is a "daughter of Yemayá." After 14 years of waiting, Ugás only wants to see his mother healthy and happy, and his social media reflects that devotion.
In a recent Instagram video, the Cuban boxer was seen driving with his mother in the passenger seat, taking the opportunity to express his love and admiration: “Everything I am, and hope to be, I owe to my mother… Thanks to her prayers, her love, and support since I was a child.”
In April 2022, Milagros Hernández Hechavarría responded to the attacks from Cuban television against her son following his defeat in the fight against American Errol Spence.
Milagros referred to the television program Con Filo, where the host attempted to belittle the fighter and even shared memes mocking his appearance after the fight (Ugás was left with one eye in very bad condition), or compared him to members of the failed invasion at Playa Girón in 1961.
In a lengthy post on her Facebook wall, the woman reported all the injustices her son faced in Cuba at the hands of the sports authorities.
"My boy was the best, the captain of the team. He was left behind by his teammates on two occasions. They threw him out like a dog. He was not reliable, although they never told him that. I cried and fought. His father, Chichi, my partner who is now in glory, spoke with Cristian (Jiménez) and José Ramón Fernández. In court, mind you, against a world champion, we won. And it hurt my boy a lot. I told him, 'Come back and fight,'" he recounted.
He also spoke about the affection that the Cuban people have for the athlete and activist; a sentiment that motivated him to continue boxing and achieve his sports goals, to leave his country where he was a target of the arbitrary actions of sports authorities, and to become a symbol of the Cuban civil society that demands rights and freedoms, and an end to the dictatorship in Cuba.
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