WBA welterweight champion Yordenis Ugas 27-4 (12) says he is happy to enter into a rematch against Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao 62-8-2 (39) if he wants it.
The 35-year-old Cuban boxed a disciplined fight to win a unanimous decision over Pacquiao by scores of 115-113 and 116-112 twice at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday night.
Ugas worked behind a stiff jab to set up his sneaky right hand while the 42-year-old Pacquiao struggled to find a way through the champion’s tight defence.
After the fight Pacquiao blamed leg cramps for hindering his movement. He appeared unusually stationary throughout the fight, particularly after the halfway mark of the bout.
Pacquiao was scheduled to face WBC and IBF welterweight champion Errol ‘The Truth’ Spence Jr 27-0 (21) in an all-southpaw battle before the undefeated Texan was forced to withdraw 10 days out from the bout after the pre-fight medical examination revealed a damaged retina.
Ugas, who was scheduled to box on the undercard, was moved up to face Pacquiao in the main event.
There have been calls for Pacquiao to retire after the fight but the future Hall of Famer has refused to commit to hanging up the gloves, saying he needs a month to consider his future.
Earlier this week Pacquiao indicated he would consider a rematch against Ugas. If the fight does come to fruition it would likely take place in January to fit in with Pacquiao’s senatorial duties in his native Philippines.
“I want to thank the WBA for giving me the opportunity and allowing me to show who the champion is,” Ugas said on Wednesday.
“I think Pacquiao has proven to be a competitor and a warrior, a legend. If he wants a rematch, it would be my pleasure. I’d be happy to give it to him.
“I think we would have more time to prepare. In Saturday’s fight, there were no advantages as we were both in the same condition. We could make many adjustments and give a better fight.”
Pacquiao is still coming to terms with the loss but the proud warrior who turned pro 26 years ago clearly has revenge on his mind.
“Yes, I can come back in January. I will see about it,” Pacquiao said to The Athletic. “I know I can rematch him if I want. I’ll just need to tell (promoter) Al Haymon. That would be no problem.
“I will think about it because I can’t believe that one of the easiest opponents I ever faced did that.
“He shouldn’t have touched me. When I moved here (to the right), I had nothing. You know how I move. You’ve seen it so many times.
“(Ugas) only had one style and I should’ve been able to easily move away – you’ve seen how I have moved in my fights before. I couldn’t move in this fight. My legs just stopped.”
Pacquiao’s previous fight was a 12-round split decision victory over Keith ‘One Time’ Thurman 29-1 (22) more than two years ago. That victory saw him win the WBA 147-pound title but the Panamanian sanctioning body stripped him of the belt earlier this year due to inactivity and elevated WBA ‘regular’ titleholder Ugas to full championship status.
“I know (the WBA) had to make different decisions and they have received criticism for that,” Ugas said. “I know they criticized them for doing the right thing. I thank them for keeping me as the super champion.
“Pacquiao makes five or six times more than me and they still made the right decision. Despite all the criticism they had, they gave me the opportunity to prove last Saturday that I am the champion.
“I think I represented Cuban boxing very well. Our boxing lives a good present and has a great future, although there have been few of us who have been able to fight professionally.
“I feel proud of this victory against a legend.”
