MANILA, Philippines—Manny Pacquiao and WBA welterweight super champion Yordenis Ugas faced off for the first time ahead of their Saturday match (Sunday Manila time) at T-Mobile Arena.
Pacquiao and Ugas, whose fight was announced just last week after Errol Spence pulled out, posed in front of the venue and took questions from reporters.
Pacquiao was originally the sanctioning body’s Super champion at 147 pounds but lost the strap due to inactivity prompting the WBA to elevate Ugas, initially the “regular” champion, in January 2021.
“This is a challenge for me, I know both of us prepared very well for the fight,” said Pacquiao. “We should settle it on the ring, it doesn’t seem right away they took my belt without fighting me.”
Manny Pacquiao and Yordenis Ugas during the Grand Arrival in Las Vegas. INQUIRER PHOTO/MARC REYES
Pacquiao (62-7-2), who was supposed to fight Spence for the IBF, WBC, and Ring Magazine titles, was stripped of his championship after he failed to defend it for more than a year since beating Keith Thurman in July 2019.
It was the split decision over Thurman that won him the WBA Super championship more than a year after he stopped Lucas Matthysse for the “regular” welterweight championship.
Ugas (26-4), meanwhile, last fought in September 2020 when he defeated Abel Ramos for the “regular” championship, his first and only World title.