Yordenis Ugas Stuns Manny Pacquiao; Freddie Roach Was Right About Cuban Boxer

Freddie Roach already saw what Manny Pacquiao was in for before he faced Yordenis Ugas Saturday night in Las Vegas.

Pacquiao’s ring return was spoiled by Ugas after the reigning WBA welterweight champion defended his belt against the Filipino boxing legend.

Ugas decisively beat Pacquiao, having been successful in obliterating the 42-year-old almost the entire fight every time he unloaded his right hand ⁠— the same hand Roach warned his pupil about leading up to the fight.

According to Roach, he observed that the Cuban boxer found tremendous success landing a vicious right hand on his past opponents, something he wanted the “Pac-Man” to be mindful of.

“He always goes for the home run,” Roach told reporters of Ugas last week. “He’s a big puncher and has a big right overhand right.”

Ugas has won only 12 of his now 27 wins by way of knockout, but for Roach, Pacquiao should not sleep on him as he has a “great background” as a fighter.

“[Ugas is] a Cuban fighter with a great background,” the famed trainer pointed out. “And a lot of people thought he beat Shawn Porter, and that kind of surprised me a little bit.”

Indeed, Ugas’ upset win over Pacquiao was all about power, with the former outperforming the eight-division titlist 59% to 36% in terms of power punches landed percentage.

All three judges scored 116-112, 115-113 and 116-112, while ESPN had it 116-112 all in favor of Ugas.

As expected, Ugas has his eyes locked on unifying the welterweight belts as he now presents a strong case to face the likes of Errol Spence Jr. and Terence Crawford.

“Now the plan is to unify,” Ugas stressed after the fight.

Pacquiao, on the other hand, “apologized” to fans for a disappointing loss.

When asked to assess his performance, Pacquiao bared that the tightness in his legs, which he has been enduring coming into the fight, slowed him down the entire 12 rounds.

“That’s boxing,” Pacquiao said. “I’m making adjustments about his [Ugas’] style. I think that’s the problem. My legs are tight. My legs are so tight, it’s hard to move.”

Even before Ugas replaced Spence as Pacquiao’s opponent, the future Hall of Famer already hinted at the possibility that this could be the last time he will enter the ring.

Addressing the subject once again, Pacquiao admitted that he’s still unsure about what’s ahead of him.

“I don’t know,” he said of his possible retirement. “Let me rest first and relax and make a decision.”