YORDENIS UGAS WAS silent. He was happy, soaking in the moment. The 35-year-old had just received an unexpected call, offering him an opportunity he’d long dreamed of.
The answer about whether or not he’d take a fight against boxing’s only eight-division champion, Manny Pacquiao, was never in doubt. Of course he said yes.
And when Ugas steps into the ring against Pacquiao on Saturday in Las Vegas, he’ll be defending his WBA “super” welterweight title against a 42-year-old living legend having only 11 days’ notice.
Both men were training for drastically different fights on the same card: Pacquiao against IBF and WBC world title holder Errol Spence Jr.; Ugas against Fabian Maidana. Both Spence and Maidana suffered eye injuries that knocked them out of those fights. Suddenly, Pacquiao and Ugas were set to headline a PBC on Fox pay-per-view at T-Mobile Arena.
“I was surprised,” says Ugas, ESPN’s No. 6 boxer at 147 pounds. “I had emotion running through [me], but I also knew I was prepared. This was meant for a reason.”
If Ugas seems unfazed, it’s because of everything he’s been through over the past decade in his professional career, and everything that led up to this point. He’s an Olympic medalist for his native Cuba, who defected to the United States to pursue his professional dreams. He spent two years (from 2014 to 2016), retired from the sport. And before he could even launch his professional career, Ugas struggled for years to get his feet underneath him.
The stars have finally aligned for Ugas. It’s been a long time coming.
TWO YEARS AFTER winning bronze at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, Ugas made the only choice available if he wanted to pursue his dream of winning a world title: He defected from Cuba.
“Imagine being in the open sea for two days, you’re in a small little boat so you’re all over the place with the waves,” Ugas recalled. “I thought at every moment I was going to die. It’s not something I would wish on anyone; it’s very dangerous.”
That small raft brought him from Cuba to Mexico. From there, he made his way to Miami, where many Cuban defectors have settled over the past few decades.
Living in the United States with a minimal support system and little money was difficult, and lonely. During those seemingly never-ending days, Ugas would head over to McDonald’s and order a dollar-menu apple pie. Not just one — sometimes as many as seven. It was comfort food, and the only meal he could afford that would offer any solace.
But Ugas’ pro career started well enough inside the ring. He recorded five wins in 2010, and that November, two key things happened: Ugas got his first up-close look at Pacquiao, when Pacquiao picked apart Antonio Margarito in a 154-pound title fight and became boxing’s first eight-division world champion. And that night, as Ugas was ringside at the home of the Dallas Cowboys, he met Bob Arum and laid the groundwork for his first promotional contract.
“Ugas was wearing a white suit, he had that Don Johnson look, no shirt on, and Arum f—ing falls in love with the look,” Top Rank Boxing matchmaker Brad Goodman recalled. “Arum thought he was the real deal.”
TOP RANK SIGNED Ugas and placed him on a February 2011 card against Carlos Musquez. Ugas won his first six fights with the promotion, running his record to 11-0 with five knockouts.
Then they stepped up the competition for Ugas with a fight against Johnny Garcia, on Showtime’s prospect-oriented series, ShoBox: The New Generation. It was a disaster for Ugas, who suffered his first professional loss via split decision. And that wasn’t all.
“His first showing to really showcase his skills, and he lost a split decision,” Goodman says. “He really didn’t go out there and shine like he was supposed to. We were just real down [on him] and we just released him.”
The release, Ugas says, was a psychological blow that took him years to recover from. He won four fights after parting ways with Top Rank, but then lost back-to-back fights against Emanuel Robles and Amir Imam in 2014. Following the unanimous-decision setback to Imam that May, Ugas suddenly called it quits.
His career hadn’t gone the way he planned; far from it, in fact. At 15-3, and just four years into his pro career, Ugas couldn’t handle losing. He had been one of the best amateurs in Cuban history, winning several national championships and a gold medal at the 2005 World Championships in Mianyang, China.
“Dark days back then, it was very depressing,” Ugas said, via translation from his manager, Luis DeCubas. “I’ve been competing in boxing over 20 years; never not been competing; never thought I didn’t have a future. Sitting in a room with no future, no money, no life: it’s pretty depressing. You think the worst things.
“I was retired, 100 percent out of boxing; wasn’t sure what I was going to do. I was confused. I didn’t know what I was going to do in life, period. … Bad time in my career; bad time in life.”
“He’s not a drinker, but [he was] hanging out until late, not taking things seriously, not running,” said DeCubas.
Ugas was living in New Jersey at that point, and to get by, he worked odd jobs to pay the bills — the first jobs he ever had outside of boxing. Hard labor.
Then Ugas received the call that “100 percent changed my life.” On the other line, along with DeCubas, was Aroldis Chapman, the future MLB All-Star closer. Chapman, a fellow Cuban defector and one of Ugas’ closest friends since they arrived in Miami, had signed a lucrative contract with the Cincinnati Reds in January 2010, and he was ready to offer Ugas a much-needed lifeline and a doorway back into boxing.
The message from Chapman: “I’ll give you the money to move to Vegas, but you better take this as your last opportunity.”
WHILE HE WAS living in New Jersey during that two-year hiatus, Ugas had plenty of time to think. He couldn’t wrap his head around it all. How had he reached this point?
He surveyed the boxing landscape and saw who was thriving. Terence Crawford? Ugas beat him when they met in the Pan American Games qualifier in Barquisimeto, Venezuela, in 2007. Sadam Ali. Darleys Perez. Jose Pedraza. Along with Crawford, all titleholders at that time. And all fighters Ugas had beaten as an amateur.
“These guys are champions; I’m not a champion?” Ugas recalls thinking. “I gotta be a champion.”
Determined to make the most of the opportunity Chapman placed at his feet, Ugas packed up what little he owned and moved to Las Vegas for a fresh start — linking up with trainer Ismael Salas, another Cuban, and reuniting with DeCubas. He changed his lifestyle and dedicated himself completely to his craft.
He also moved up in weight, from 140 pounds to 147, and witnessed the birth of his son, Yordenis Jr. — the two biggest factors in his dramatic turnaround, Ugas says.
During the second act of his career with DeCubas, in which he eventually signed with Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions promotion, Ugas impressed as a reliable fill-in. Less than a year into his return, Ugas scored a second-round stoppage vs. Nelson Lara on two days’ notice in 2017. Later that year, he agreed to take on an even better opponent on one week’s notice, defeating Thomas Dulorme by decision.
“I could tell when he came out [to Las Vegas,] he wasn’t playing around,” DeCubas said.
“He just made a complete turnaround. He has all the ability in the world,” said Goodman, who considers Ugas’ inside game his best attribute. “… He’s very calm. He carries a lot of confidence. Nothing rattles him.”
By 2019, Ugas had put together eight consecutive victories, and lined up opposite Shawn Porter for a WBC welterweight title shot — the kind of opportunity he had long dreamed of. Despite being as much as a +400 underdog, Ugas went punch for punch with Porter, and in the minds of many in the boxing world watching that night, did enough to win. But the cards ultimately went against him, albeit narrowly in a split decision.
Besides the controversial defeat to Porter, Ugas’ résumé includes decision wins over solid fighters like Jamal James, Abel Ramos and Omar Figueroa Jr., as well as TKOs vs. Bryant Perrella and Ray Robinson.
None of those boxers, of course, come close to the legendary Pacquiao.
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Manny Pacquiao shares his thoughts on his new opponent Yordenis Ugas, following Errol Spence Jr.’s withdrawal due to injury.
SEVEN YEARS ON from hitting the pause button in his career, Ugas, a fighter once labeled a bust, is on the doorstep of a life-changing opportunity.
“I never expected to fight Manny Pacquiao, especially at his age and how much more ahead [of me] he was,” Ugas said. “He’s such a great fighter and he showed [it] with what he did against Keith Thurman and Adrien Broner [in his two most recent fights]. What a great fighter he still is, even at 42 years old.
“He’s one of the greatest fighters of all time, there’s no question about it. It’s going to be a pleasure and honor to share the ring with a legend. But once the bell rings, all that goes out the window and it’s a fight. It’s not, ‘I’m fighting Manny Pacquiao.’ I’m fighting for my life.”
“He has to prepare for his future outside of boxing; these are the fights that do that,” DeCubas says. “And a win over Pacquiao sets him up for life.”
Ugas (26-4, 12 KOs) enters the fight against Pacquiao as the WBA champion, a position he was elevated to back in January. The old champ? Pacquiao, who won the title from Thurman in July 2019 but hasn’t fought since. Due to the long layoff, the WBA appointed him champion in recess. Pacquiao petitioned the WBA to be reinstated ahead of the Spence fight, but in a surprise decision, the WBA ruled last month to maintain Ugas as champion.
“Ugas is a champion because they gave him my belt,” Pacquiao said last week. “Now, we have to settle it inside of the ring. I cannot take him lightly because he’s the kind of fighter who will take advantage of that.”
Ugas is in a familiar position, both as a last-minute replacement and as a +280 betting underdog as of Wednesday morning at Caesars Sportsbook.
Given what he has fought through — defecting from Cuba, fighting back from a two-year hiatus and the disappointment of not getting the win over Porter, among many other challenges along the way — doubting Ugas’ chances Saturday is a risky position to take.
“If he’s overlooking me, he’s going to have a problem,” Ugas said. “I’m in the prime of my career. I’m a world champion; I’m fighting at the highest level I ever fought. You put the championship pedigree with the Olympic pedigree — I can’t wait for the fight.”
Some of the most dynamic home run hitters in baseball will be taking aim at the Truist Park stands on Monday (8 p.m. ET on ESPN) in one of the most anticipated events of the summer.
While the prospect of a back-to-back champion is out of the picture — 2024 winner Teoscar Hernandez is not a part of this year’s field — a number of exciting stars will be taking the field, including Atlanta’s own Matt Olson, who replacedRonald Acuna Jr. just three days before the event. Will Olson make a run in front of his home crowd? Will Cal Raleigh show off the power that led to 38 home runs in the first half? Or will one of the younger participants take the title?
We have your one-stop shop for everything Derby related, from predictions to live updates once we get underway to analysis and takeaways at the night’s end.
Who is going to win the Derby and who will be the runner-up?
Jeff Passan: Raleigh. His swing is perfect for the Derby: He leads MLB this season in both pull percentage and fly ball percentage, so it’s not as if he needs to recalibrate it to succeed. He has also become a prolific hitter from the right side this season — 16 home runs in 102 at-bats — and his ability to switch between right- and left-handed pitching offers a potential advantage. No switch-hitter (or catcher for that matter) has won a Home Run Derby. The Big Dumper is primed to be the first, beating Buxton in the finals.
Alden Gonzalez: Cruz. He might be wildly inconsistent at this point in his career, but he is perfect for the Derby — young enough to possess the stamina required for a taxing event that could become exhausting in the Atlanta heat; left-handed, in a ballpark where the ball carries out better to right field; and, most importantly, capable of hitting balls at incomprehensible velocities. Raleigh will put on a good show from both sides of the plate but will come in second.
Buster Olney: Olson. He is effectively pinch-hitting for Acuna, and because he received word in the past 72 hours of his participation, he hasn’t had the practice rounds that the other competitors have been going through. But he’s the only person in this group who has done the Derby before, which means he has experienced the accelerated pace, adrenaline and push of the crowd.
His pitcher, Eddie Perez, knows something about performing in a full stadium in Atlanta. And, as Olson acknowledged in a conversation Sunday, the park generally favors left-handed hitters because of the larger distances that right-handed hitters must cover in left field.
Jesse Rogers: Olson. Home-field advantage will mean something this year as hitting in 90-plus degree heat and humidity will be an extra challenge in Atlanta. Olson understands that and can pace himself accordingly. Plus, he was a late addition. He has got nothing to lose. He’ll outlast the young bucks in the field. And I’m not putting Raleigh any lower than second — his first half screams that he’ll be in the finals against Olson.
Jorge Castillo: Wood. His mammoth power isn’t disputed — he can jack baseballs to all fields. But the slight defect in his power package is that he doesn’t hit the ball in the air nearly as often as a typical slugger. Wood ranks 126th out of 155 qualified hitters across the majors in fly ball percentage. And he still has swatted 24 home runs this season. So, in an event where he’s going to do everything he can to lift baseballs, hitting fly balls won’t be an issue, and Wood is going to show off that gigantic power en route to a victory over Cruz in the finals.
Who will hit the longest home run of the night — and how far?
Passan: Cruz hits the ball harder than anyone in baseball history. He’s the choice here, at 493 feet.
Gonzalez: If you exclude the Coors Field version, there have been just six Statcast-era Derby home runs that have traveled 497-plus feet. They were compiled by two men: Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. James Wood — all 6-foot-7, 234 pounds of him — will become the third.
Olney: James Wood has the easy Stanton- and Judge-type power, and he will clear the Chophouse with the longest homer. Let’s say 497 feet.
Rogers: Hopefully he doesn’t injure himself doing it, but Buxton will break out his massive strength and crush a ball at least 505 feet. I don’t see him advancing far in the event, but for one swing, he’ll own the night.
Castillo: Cruz hits baseballs hard and far. He’ll crush a few bombs, and one will reach an even 500 feet.
Who is the one slugger fans will know much better after the Derby?
Passan: Buxton capped his first half with a cycle on Saturday, and he’ll carry that into the Derby, where he will remind the world why he was baseball’s No. 1 prospect in 2015. Buxton’s talent has never been in question, just his health. And with his body feeling right, he has the opportunity to put on a show fans won’t soon forget.
Olney: Caminero isn’t a big name and wasn’t a high-end prospect like Wood was earlier in his career. Just 3½ years ago, Caminero was dealt to the Rays by the Cleveland Guardians in a relatively minor November trade for pitcher Tobias Myers. But since then, he has refined his ability to cover inside pitches and is blossoming this year into a player with ridiculous power. He won’t win the Derby, but he’ll open some eyes.
What’s the one moment we’ll all be talking about long after this Derby ends?
Gonzalez: The incredible distances and velocities that will be reached, particularly by Wood, Cruz, Caminero, Raleigh and Buxton. The hot, humid weather at Truist Park will only aid the mind-blowing power that will be on display Monday night.
Rogers: The exhaustion on the hitter’s faces, swinging for home run after home run in the heat and humidity of Hot-lanta!
Castillo: Cruz’s 500-foot blast and a bunch of other lasers he hits in the first two rounds before running out of gas in the finals.
Tampa Bay Rays owner Stu Sternberg has agreed in principle to a $1.7 billion deal to sell the franchise to a group led by a Florida-based developer Patrick Zalupski, according to a report from The Athletic.
The deal is reportedly expected to be closed as early as September and will keep the franchise in the area, with Zalupski, a homebuilder in Jacksonville, having a strong preference to land in Tampa rather than St. Petersburg.
Sternberg bought the Rays in 2004 for $200 million.
According to Zalupski’s online bio, he is the founder, president and CEO of Dream Finders Homes. The company was founded in December 2008 and closed on 27 homes in Jacksonville the following year. Now, with an expanded footprint to many parts of the United States, Dream Finders has closed on more than 31,100 homes since its founding.
He also is a member of the board of trustees at the University of Florida.
The new ownership group also reportedly includes Bill Cosgrove, the CEO of Union Home Mortgage, and Ken Babby, owner of the Akron RubberDucks and Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, both minor-league teams.
A year ago, Sternberg had a deal in place to build a new stadium in the Historic Gas Plant District, a reimagined recreational, retail and residential district in St. Petersburg to replace Tropicana Field.
However, after Hurricane Milton shredded the roof of the stadium last October, forcing the Rays into temporary quarters, Sternberg changed his tune, saying the team would have to bear excess costs that were not in the budget.
“After careful deliberation, we have concluded we cannot move forward with the new ballpark and development project at this moment,” Sternberg said in a statement in March. “A series of events beginning in October that no one could have anticipated led to this difficult decision.”
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred and some other owners began in March to privately push Sternberg to sell the franchise, The Athletic reported.
It is unclear what Zalupski’s group, if it ultimately goes through with the purchase and is approved by MLB owners, will do for a permanent stadium.
The Rays are playing at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, located at the site of the New York Yankees‘ spring training facility and home of their Single-A Tampa Tarpons.
ATLANTA — Shohei Ohtani will bat leadoff as the designated hitter for the National League in Tuesday night’s All-Star Game at Truist Park, and the Los Angeles Dodgers star will be followed in the batting order by left fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. of the host Atlanta Braves.
Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes will start his second straight All-Star Game, Major League Baseball announced last week. Detroit Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal will make his first All-Star start for the American League.
“I think when you’re talking about the game, where it’s at, these two guys … are guys that you can root for, are super talented, are going to be faces of this game for years to come,” Roberts said.
Ohtani led off for the AL in the 2021 All-Star Game, when the two-way sensation also was the AL’s starting pitcher. He hit leadoff in 2022, then was the No. 2 hitter for the AL in 2023 and for the NL last year after leaving the Los Angeles Angels for the Dodgers.
Skenes and Skubal are Nos. 1-2 in average four-seam fastball velocity among those with 1,500 or more pitches this season, Skenes at 98.2 mph and Skubal at 97.6 mph, according to MLB Statcast.
A 23-year-old right-hander, Skenes is 4-8 despite a major league-best 2.01 ERA for the Pirates, who are last in the NL Central. The 2024 NL Rookie of the Year has 131 strikeouts and 30 walks in 131 innings.
Skubal, a 28-year-old left-hander, is the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner. He is 10-3 with a 2.23 ERA, striking out 153 and walking 16 in 121 innings.