Yordenis Ugás is the only boxer who has defeated Crawford and Manny Pacquiao

A fan sent Yordenis Ugás an intriguing image created with artificial intelligence.

It highlighted a fact that few knew: the Cuban is the only boxer in the world who has defeated both Terence Crawford and Manny Pacquiao.

The boxer himself shared the photo on his profile and wrote: "Very proud. This is history."

An unparalleled feat

In 2007, during the 1st Pan American Qualifier in Barquisimeto (Venezuela), Ugás defeated a very young Terence Crawford in the semifinals, with a score of 27–10 under the computerized scoring system of the time.

That victory was no coincidence: Ugás was already one of the most prominent figures in amateur boxing, with titles such as the AIBA World Champion in 2005, gold in the 2007 Pan American Games, and later, an Olympic bronze medal in Beijing 2008.

Fourteen years later, now in professional boxing, he faced the legendary Manny Pacquiao on August 21, 2021, in Las Vegas. That night, the 35-year-old Cuban shone with technical, intelligent, and devastating counter-punching.

With scores of 116–112, 116–112, and 115–113, Ugás defeated the Filipino by unanimous decision and retained the super championship title in the welterweight division of the World Boxing Association (WBA).

"Thank you to Manny Pacquiao for giving me the opportunity to share the ring with him. He remains one of the greatest fighters in history," he expressed, excited after his victory.

An exclusive record

The data confirms the uniqueness of the achievement.

In his professional career, Pacquiao lost to eight opponents: Rustico Torrecampo, Medgoen Singsurat, Erik Morales, Juan Manuel Márquez, Timothy Bradley, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Jeff Horn, and Yordenis Ugás.

However, none of those other seven managed to defeat Terence Crawford, not even in his amateur stage.

The most evident contrast is Jeff Horn, who after defeating Pacquiao in 2017, fell flat against Crawford a year later by TKO.

This makes Ugás the only one who has managed to defeat both: the American in the amateur arena and the Filipino in the professional elite.

Crawford vs Canelo

The name Ugás is making headlines again in the sports world because Terence Crawford has just defeated Saúl "Canelo" Álvarez at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

With a masterful performance, the American fighter won by unanimous decision (116-112, 115-113, 115-113), becoming the undisputed champion in three divisions and maintaining his undefeated record.

The comparison is inevitable: the man who has just made history by defeating Canelo also experienced defeat during his amateur career against a Cuban who, years later, would knock down the Filipino legend Manny Pacquiao in the professional arena.

Cuban pride in exile

For Yordenis Ugás, exiled like many Cuban athletes, this achievement goes beyond the personal: it is a symbol of what Cuba could have achieved with a sports system free from political constraints.

While Crawford remains undefeated in professionalism and Pacquiao retired as one of the greatest of all time, Ugás stands in history as the only one capable of defeating both at two different stages of boxing.

"This is history," wrote the boxer himself. And he is not mistaken: no other fighter in the world shares that honor.

Frequently asked questions about Yordenis Ugás and his boxing career