KEY POINTS

  • Yordenis Ugas criticizes the WBA for forcing him to fight in a mini-tournament
  • The "super" and "regular" titles will be unified by March 2022 as the WBA determines its main champion
  • Ugas remains adamant that boxing fans would much rather see a title unification between him and Errol Spence Jr.

Reigning WBA welterweight king Yordenis Ugas is none too pleased with the governing body’s decision to have a mini-tournament to consolidate the welterweight titles.

In mid-September, it was reported that the Ugas and "regular" titleholder Jamal James will defend their belts against Eimantas Stanionis and Radzhab Butaev respectively.

In March 2022, the "super" and "regular" welterweight champions would then face off against each other in a unification bout to determine the WBA's "true" representative at 147 pounds.

Weeks after this announcement, the Cuban fighter posted a lengthy video response on his social media platforms.

“It's disrespectful [for] the WBA to do a tournament to define their champions, when I'm the super champion, who just beat a legend in my first defense, and I have a win over regular champ Jamal James. Mandatory WBA fights are always meant to fight for the regular title. I fought Abel [Ramos] and got promoted when [Manny] Pacquiao was out of [the] sport,” a fiery Ugas said as quoted by Boxing Scene.

Ugas would go on to question the tournament when he has already staked a claim as the WBA’s top champion after soundly defeating Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao in his first title defense this past August.

A super fight with the current IBF and WBC welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr. seemed to be on the horizon for Ugas, but things took a sharp left-turn going towards the WBA unification tournament that he is now involved in.

WBA “super” featherweight titlist Murodjon Akhmadaliev and champions of their respective divisions Leo Santa Cruz, Artem Dalakian and Arsen Goulamirian have all been ordered to face their mandatory WBA challengers next.

The confusing part about the whole situation for Ugas is that the aforementioned fighters may have mandatory challengers but are not prevented from fighting other titleholders, making him question the WBA’s treatment of him.

Ugas also questions why he needs to fight a four-year pro in Stanionis, who in 14 fights have fought four fighters who have more losses than wins.

“The dream of every fighter is to be a champion, then to unify and that is my intention that I think I have earned. [Spence vs. Ugas]—a three-championship fight between two of the world's best welterweights is what fans want to see,” he proclaimed in the same video.

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