At the age of 42, having accomplished so much more than just about everyone in the boxing ring, Manny Pacquiao you’d think could have easily walked away from the sport of boxing and taken his legendary status elsewhere. But yet, time and time again, here he is.
With a stellar record of 62 wins and 7 losses, Pacquiao is a legend of boxing. A crowd favourite wherever he goes, Pacquiao has made it clear that he still has an urge to fight the biggest and baddest men in the world, and is willing to put it all on the line to prove he still had what it takes.
With a last minute fight change due to an injury sustained in a sparring round, Errol Spence Jr was forced to pull out and left a gap wide open for the current welterweight champion, Yorden Ugas to step right in and take his place. The powerful fighter has had a big career in his own right, winning bronze for Cuba at the 2008 Olympic Games, with a current record of 26 wins and four losses, and as the current WBA welterweight champion, Ugas holds his own.
On the late call up, Ugas had this to say.
"It's an honor to fight the great multiple-division world champion, Manny Pacquiao, as I am more than ready to take on this challenge," said Ugas (26-4, 12 KOs). "I have a tremendous amount of respect for Pacquiao, but I am coming to win this fight.
"Everyone knows my story about how I came to America to follow my dreams of becoming a world champion, and now it's time to stamp my legacy with a victory, as one of the best Cuban fighters to ever put on a pair of gloves," he added. "I love my country and I want to dedicate this fight to all the men and women who are fighting for freedom."
Pacquiao has insisted the late change won’t affect him, ready to change his style no matter who he faces.
“Health is always the priority and the most important thing. I did my best in training and in preparation for this fight, so I wanted to make sure my hard work was not wasted.
"Ugas was ready to fight and challenge me on August 21. So it's a great thing that I can show off my hard work in the gym when we face each other on fight night.
"I'm not disappointed at all in what happened because my hard work will not be wasted. Ugas stepped up and is bringing his WBA championship into the fight, which I'm excited to fight for."
"I am happy to fight either right-handed or southpaw fighters. It's no problem for me at all to switch the styles that I'm going to face.
"What I can say to the fans is that this is definitely not an easy fight. Ugas is a champion because they gave him my belt. Now, we have to settle it inside of the ring."
MAIN CARD
Manny Pacquiao vs Yordenis Ugas
UNDER CARD
Mark Magsayo vs Julio Ceja
Robert Guerreo vs Victor Ortiz