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Yordenis Ugás returned to the ring this Saturday after nearly three years of inactivity and achieved his first victory in five years, defeating the Mexican Jesús "Bala" López by split decision in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico.
The 39-year-old from Santiago had endured multiple surgeries after suffering an orbital fracture in his right eye during his defeat against Errol Spence Jr. in April 2022, an injury that at times seemed to steer him more toward retirement than a comeback.
After the fight, Ugás posted an emotional message on his social media in which he expressed his gratitude for the support he received and described the long journey leading up to this night: "It has been three years of training, spending resources, waiting for a plan that never came."
The former world champion explained that his team asked him to take a step back with humility, and that they were inspired by "an excellent Cuban player who played almost his entire last year in the minor leagues," as a metaphor for perseverance and sacrifice.
He described the result as the beginning of a final stage: "This was the first step of my last round in the sport, and we are going to do it right."
From a sporting perspective, the analysis was cautious. Ugás controlled most of the action and imposed his experience, but the decision was split when analysts believed it should have been unanimous.
The journalist Jorge Ebro, from El Nuevo Herald, described what he saw as "an intelligent, experienced, and still competitive fighter, but also one who still seems far from that version that reached the top of 147 pounds."
Moments of decreased speed and a more measured pace were observed compared to his best version, which is understandable after such a long inactivity. However, it is enough to realize that there is still work ahead if he intends to return to more demanding stages.
Ugás is the only boxer who has defeated both Terence Crawford in the amateur ranks in 2007 and Manny Pacquiao as a professional in August 2021 in Las Vegas, when he retained the WBA welterweight title after stepping in at the last minute to replace Spence.
Beyond the sporting outcome, Ugás took advantage of his return to reaffirm his political commitment to the Cuban cause, something he has consistently maintained from exile.
"Мы всегда будем представлять наш народ, и всегда будем вести нашу активность в защиту свободы политических заключённых и нашей страны," wrote the boxer, concluding his message with the motto "God, Homeland, Life, Freedom".
Now the question that remains open, as Ebro paraphrased from Hamlet, is whether Ugás will continue or if this will indeed be his last round: "This time, victory does not bring belts or world titles. It brings something equally enigmatic: to continue or not to continue? That is the question."
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