Manny Pacquiao 62-8-2 (39) is open to the idea of a rematch against WBA welterweight champion Yordenis Ugas 27-4 (12) after being toppled by the underdog on points at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday night.
The 42-year-old Filipino superstar was competitive early but Cuban Ugas, 35, took over in the back half of the fight, landing repeatedly with his jab and a snaking right hand around Pacquiao’s guard.
After the fight Pacquaio, who is a senator in his native Philippines, blamed leg cramps for his lack of mobility. A rematch would need to fit in around his senatorial duties.
“Yes, I can come back in January. I will see about it,” southpaw 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.”
Pacquiao is still struggling to come to terms with the loss.
“I will think about it because I can’t believe that one of the easiest opponents I ever faced did that,” he said.
“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.”
Old rival Oscar De La Hoya labelled Pacquiao one of the greatest fighters of all time at a media event to promote his comeback fight against former UFC champion Vitor Belfort at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on September 11.
“I think [Ugas] fought a disciplined fight,” said the 48-year-old De La Hoya, who was beaten into retirement in eight rounds by Pacquiao in 2008. “The times that he wasn’t disciplined, Manny Pacquiao would just eat him alive with his combinations… I thought Manny Pacquiao looked good, just Ugas didn’t make him look good.
“He went 12 hard rounds with a younger guy. That’s the problem with us fighters. We go for the younger guy. It happened with me and Manny Pacquiao when he kicked my ass. It’s not necessarily that when I was at my peak and fought Manny he wasn’t the better guy. He was the younger guy with more energy, you know what I’m saying?
“He looked like an old Manny Pacquiao [versus Ugas] but if he fought someone his age, then he’s going to look great.
“Pacquiao is a legend. He’s the best. He’ll probably go down as the greatest fighter we’ve seen, ever.
“It was a privilege watching his fight [versus Ugas]. It’s probably the end of an era. We enjoyed a great ride and we wish him all the best.”
