While Ugas' experience against elite fighters isn't anywhere near that of Pacquiao (or even Spence, for that matter), he holds a handful of strong wins against Jamal James, Thomas Dulorme, Omar Figueroa Jr. Large for the weight class, Ugas will hold height and reach advantages against Pacquiao and is an incredibly disciplined counterpuncher with good defense and the ability to walk forward when he senses an advantage. Yet Pacquiao-Ugas is still an incredibly intriguing fight, particularly for hard-core fans of the game who have watched Ugas, a 35-year-old former Cuban amateur star, quietly transition from journeyman to contender, and now champion. Ugas (26-4, 12 KOs), who is more technician than destroyer compared to Spence (who is both), is also less likely a threat to send Pacquiao disastrously into retirement via knockout. Ugas is a downgrade from Spence, but not by muchĬertainly, everything from the betting odds to the commercial expectations for Saturday's PPV fight shifted dramatically once Spence's name was removed from the marquee. History offers very little for comparison sake to what Pacquiao continues to do, which is what made his initial intention of fighting the pound-for-pound ranked Spence all the more impressive. Even Pacquiao's contemporaries like Floyd Mayweather, if they are still active at all, are largely returning for circus fights against MMA fighters and social media influencers. Yet here we are, 26 years and many in-ring miles later after Pacquiao has consistently matched himself against the most dangerous foes available, he's still at it. #Pac man fight proTo put things into perspective, rising welterweight contender Vergil Ortiz Jr., who won his biggest step-up fight to date last Saturday by knocking out Egidjius "Mean Machine" Kavaliauskas before calling out Pacquiao afterwards, was still three years away from being born when Pacquiao made his pro debut in 1995. But when you consider Pacquiao is the betting favorite against an active champion despite his long layoff, and you consider how much the "PacMan" still relies upon speed and explosion as a boxer, what he is doing at 42 is simply remarkable. Pacquiao certainly won't be the first legendary fighter past the age of 40 to come back for yet another big fight. How is it possible Pacquiao is still doing it at this level? Let's take a closer look at the biggest storylines entering the Filipino icon's much-anticipated return. But this weekend's showcase from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas won't be against the original opponent, unified welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr., who withdrew last week due to a torn retina. Pacquiao will be once again fighting for the 147-pound title he won in his last outing, an impressive decision win over then-unbeaten Keith Thurman. Former eight-division champion Manny Pacquiao is back at the age of 42 to challenge for a title he formally held when he takes on WBA titleholder Yordenis Ugas in the main event of a PBC on Fox PPV. One of the greatest boxers of his generations returns on Saturday night for another PPV headliner in Las Vegas.
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